The Catholic and The Rebel
by Sharmander
Summary: An attraction that would condemn him in the eyes of his father and supposedly God, but knowing that he still can't stop the twisting in his stomach at the sight of that redhead.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one  
**_The Secret_

A small, frail blonde boy stood in front of a looming brick building also known as a high school. He licked at his dry lips nervously as he watched people laugh and walk towards the school, all in regular clothes as he stood there in a black cardigan, white button down shirt and black slacks. His hair was a messy array of blonde spikes, but not for lack of trying to flatten them, they just would not stay down.

He stared down at his leather shoes and gripped the handle of his messenger bag tightly, he had to go in now or else he'd be late on his first day of school. Taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, he walked towards the front doors and pushed one open slowly. The other students cast him glances but nothing more, it was simple curiosity because he was new here, and no one had ever seen him before so he brushed them off as best as he could and continued towards the office to get his schedule and locker number.

He stood at the front desk, peering over the edge and onto the papers scattered along the top. The secretary was not there, and the office was slowly filling with students. He wanted to leave, he felt afraid and just wanted to get to his first class and hide at the back of the room until the day was over.

The secretary finally appeared from behind a door, her blonde hair clipped up in a messy manner as she fixed her skirt after sitting. She glanced up at the boy and smiled happily, fingernails tapping on the keyboard as she booted up the computer.

"How can I help you today sweetheart?" she asked in a perky voice, moving stray blonde strands away from her face. Roxas dully noted that his father would hate her, even if she seemed nice.

"I need my schedule please" the boy asked softly, barely above a whisper and she appeared to have strained to be able to hear him.

"Name please?" she asked and clicked the mouse a few times; the boy watched and cleared his throat before telling her his name.

"Roxas Baine, ma'am" always one to remember his manners, he smiled politely. Just as she began to print the papers the office door shot open and a tall, frightening looking teenager waltzed into the small room.

The secretary clutched at her chest and smiled brightly at the boy who was now at the front desk, two large, leather gloved hands gripping its edge. Roxas noticed the spikes on the knuckles of the gloves, and his eyes began to trail up the long arms that were also covered in leather. He couldn't stop himself as he watched the tall boy, he seemed so intriguing. The air around him held a sense of superiority, but at the same time friendliness, his lazy gait seemed to say 'I don't care, I'm doing what I want' and Roxas watched in amazement, he wanted to be like that though if his father even caught wind of such thoughts...he couldn't dare think what would happen.

Instead he just looked at the boy silently; his eyes widened uncontrollably when he saw the thick hair on top of the other boy's head. It was red, quite possibly the brightest red Roxas had ever seen.

Come to think of it, Roxas had never seen anyone like this boy which added even more to his natural allure. He was lean, the leather jacket hugging his thin frame, the buckles on the jacket glinting in the morning sunlight that was pouring in through the open windows. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and leather seemed to take up a lot of his attire. He wore leather fingerless gloves, heavy, massive leather boots and that leather jacket with an array of buckles.

His jeans made Roxas blink repeatedly; they were female pants no doubt with how tight they were. They were so ripped there was no point in wearing them, but the other boy seemed to have no problem with the large tears going along his thighs, Roxas' father would have already condemned the boy to hell if he were to see him.

He was wearing at least 4 belts and Roxas was willing to bet that the other three held no purpose, the boy was talking excitedly to the secretary, his hips wiggling side to side as he explained something to her and Roxas caught himself entranced with the way the chains on his pants clinked and rattled together, never in all his years of living had he seen someone so…interesting to say the least. He tore his eyes away at the mention of his name and he looked up blushing, at the secretary who was holding a bundle of papers towards him, smiling softly.

"Here you go, that should be everything you need to get you through your first day, and Axel, here is your admit slip" she said handing the other boy a small slip of paper. He smiled brightly, sharp canines showing in his large grin.

"Thanks doll" the boy said with an easy drawl in his smooth voice, he shoved the paper in his pocket and waltzed out of the office just as dramatically as he had entered, whistling a tune to himself and playing the air drums enthusiastically.

"I hope our people haven't scared you too much, we're not all as crazy as Axel" he heard a soft voice off to his right and turned to spot a smaller-then him blonde. What he noticed about her first was that she was white all over, almost appearing to be an angel. She wore a bohemian style skirt that was pure white with sky blue swirls stitched into the material, a short white denim jacket and a white tank top underneath. Her hair was platinum, nearing white and her blue eyes were filled with friendliness.

"No, I'm just…I've never seen anyone like that" he said shyly, gripping the handle of his bag again causing the papers in his hands to crinkle a bit.

"Oh, well don't worry they are harmless" and the laugh she had was beautiful and allowed Roxas to know she was joking. He laughed tensely and the girl looked at him, reaching for his papers casting a look at him to see if it was alright for her to see them. He passed them over and she skimmed over his schedule before smiling widely.

"Most of your classes are with me, except for your last one. I have art in that slot, but you have…World History" she said and handed them back to him.

"I could help you around today if you'd like" she said as they walked out of the office together. Roxas was a bit nervous to meet any other people in this school. They were all so different from his old schools. He knew his father would disapprove greatly of all of them."Oh, how rude. I'm Naminé by the way, how about you?" the girl-Naminé said and looked at Roxas as he looked around the large school, blue eyes filled with amazement.

"I'm Roxas" he mumbled softly as they walked together to their first classroom that was on the third floor. The halls were filling with people and just as they reached what Roxas assumed were their lockers Naminé was swept off the ground and spun around by Axel. Roxas watched unsure of what to do as Naminé smacked at Axel's shoulder, a large smile on her face, Axel mirroring the expression. Roxas couldn't stop the twist in his stomach at the sight of Axel.

Axel put the girl down and she swayed a bit, before laughing happily and turning to Roxas.

"This is Axel, you saw him in the office earlier, Axel this is Roxas, and he's a new student" Naminé said softly and Roxas stuck his hand out, his father always made sure he was polite and respectful. Axel stared at his hand before standing very straight and putting on a very serious face. Roxas noticed that the boy seemed to get taller.

"Good to meet you Sir" Axel said before cracking into a large grin and tugging Roxas towards him. The boy was unsuspecting of it, so he tumbled right into Axel's chest as the boy hugged him and laughed crazily.

"What was that hand shaking crap? We're not 30 dude" Axel said as he released a blushing Roxas. Roxas bit his lip, his father would be furious if he would find out that he had just hugged another man. He told himself that as soon as he got home, he'd have to ask for God's forgiveness.

"Sorry" was all he said before looking towards Naminé to see her opening her locker. She turned to look at him and smiled

"Your locker is right beside mine, go on and put your stuff away. We have some time before our class" she said and turned back to her locker, getting some text books and putting them away in her bag. Roxas hadn't even noticed it; it was beige though there was something painted on it and seemed to be made of a canvas like material. Roxas got closer as he walked to his locker and noticed it was of nothing in particular, just patterns and designs in vibrant colours and he thought it was beautiful.

"So Nams, how are you and Marly?" Axel asked suddenly and smiled brightly as Naminé blushed brighter then his fiery hair. The girl closed her locker and turned towards him, he was leaning against the lockers, snickering.

Roxas watched this all quietly, he had already placed some things in his locker and seeing as he didn't have any textbooks there was really nothing for him to grab. Naminé mumbled something and turned to Roxas, grabbing his arm gently and tugging him away from a laughing Axel.

"He's so dumb" she said seemingly to herself and Roxas just followed her. He didn't know whether he minded or if he wanted to be alone. His father would not approve of Naminé and that's what made Roxas want to be alone. She seemed to be a good person to Roxas, which was why he didn't mind her tugging him to class and talking to him almost as friends.

Roxas decided then that he wouldn't pay attention to his overbearing father this once, and would befriend Naminé; he was seventeen and could decide who his friends were after all. It was a fresh start in a completely new environment and he was going to do with it what he wanted, of course he wouldn't tell his father this.

It would be his _secret_.

* * *

**A/N:** My first fanfic or well the begining of my first fanfic 8D  
I hope you guys enjoyed it  
You'll learn more about Roxas' dad and stuff so yep, thanks for reading and review if you'd like to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
**_Evening Prayers_

The school's final bell had rung and the students were all spilling out into the hallways, complaints about too much homework, or detentions danced through the air as Roxas made his way upstairs to where the junior's lockers were kept. Climbing up the stairs was a lot harder then expected. His messenger bag was stuffed with textbooks and assignments he needed to complete if he wanted to get caught up before exams, which were in January. The bag must have weighed more then him, so it was quite a shock when the bag became lighter. Roxas turned around quickly, half expecting to see his books strewn all across the floor, but definitely not expecting to come face to face with Axel. Had his eyes always been_ that_ green, had he always had those markings under his eyes?

Roxas blushed furiously and stepped backwards and away from the punk. Axel's laugh bounced off the walls and some juniors joined in with his laughter, most were too busy trying to escape the school to care.

"Your bag is bigger then you Blondie" Axel teased, he held the bag by its top strap and made lifting it with one arm seem easy. Roxas tried to quell the twisting and turning of his stomach, what was wrong with him?

"I have a lot of work to catch up on" Roxas murmered quietly, Axel leaned down and cocked his ear towards Roxas.

"Pardon, speak up kiddo I can't hear you over the afterschool buzz" Axel said, Roxas just stared at his ear. He counted 12 silver studs all the way up, but the first one was just a large hole in the boy's lobe. He was grimacing when Axel turned to look at him.

"Your…ears" Roxas said a little louder then before and Axel laughed more.

"Yup, been piercing them since I was 12, I just started stretching them though like, 2 years ago" Axel said and fingered his silver studs lovingly. Roxas stared; he had always wanted to pierce his ears at least once. His father would never permit it though, so Roxas had just forgotten the silly little want.

"Don't your parents have something to say?" Roxas said as he was lead to his locker by Axel, he ignored the way his wrist burned underneath Axel's palm. Though, in the back of his mind something told him it was God's way of telling him this was wrong.

"Naw, my mom is totally cool with it and my dad's got more piercings and tattoos then I do" Axel said and stopped by Roxas' locker staring at the boy and smiling happily.

"Are the markings on your face tattoos?" Roxas found himself asking and Axel laughed jovially, but nodded his head happily.

"Hurt a lot more then I like to let on though" Axel winked at Roxas and smirked, Roxas' throat dried instantly.

Roxas blinked harshly, banning any thoughts that might have suggested Axel was attractive. That was an abomination, it was a sin of the worst kind to find someone of the same sex attractive. Roxas opened his locker, Axel held up his bag signaling for Roxas to put away whatever he didn't need.

"I actually don't have anything to put away" Roxas said, more to himself then to Axel and the punk's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? Look at all these textbooks, you can't take em all home!" Axel shook the bag for good measure and Roxas just shook his head and closed his locker door. He wondered where Naminé was.

"I have to hand in all the work I missed tomorrow, I need all my textbooks" the blonde said, gently taking his bag way from Axel and slipping it over his head, resting it on his too-small shoulder.

"I'm sure the teachers won't mind if you take a few days Rox" Axel said and stared at the boy confusedly, he was starting to catch drift of something strange in the boy's expressions.

"My father wouldn't allow it" Roxas said, trying to swallow the bitter bite that accidentally came out. He'd have to ask God's forgiveness for thinking harshly of his father.

"Oh, so your dad's one of those neo-Nazi homework parents?" Axel asked as they headed towards the staircase and Roxas shook his head.

"My father just wants me to do well" Roxas whispered, he seemed to be trying to convince himself more then he was trying to tell Axel. Axel stared at him, chewing on the corner of his lip at the boy's odd expression. He decided he didn't know Roxas well enough to question him, or maybe he was just nervous.

"Oh...Anyways, what school did you go to before coming to Lawrence Heights?" Axel asked, patting down his pockets for his father's car keys. Roxas wobbled along side him, struggling with his book bag, Axel tried to suppress his smirk. The boy was adorable.

"I went to St. Andrew's College" Roxas said quietly as Axel stopped in front of a black Cadillac that had probably seen better years. Axel let out a low whistle

"St. Andrew's...I've heard of it. Is it that really strict, really expensive all-boy boarding school?" Axel asked, eyeing Roxas and his heavy bag.

"That would be the one" Roxas said, tugging on the strap that was cutting into his soft flesh.

"Hey, you want a ride?" Axel blurted out; he fought the blush off his cheeks and grinned at Roxas.

Roxas wanted a ride, he _really_ wanted one. His bag was too heavy, and he was so tired from walking around in the big, new school but he couldn't. What would his father say if he saw Roxas pulling up in front of their house with Axel? Roxas shook his head harshly and turned quickly before he changed his mind.

"Roxas…wait!" Axel called but Roxas just lengthened his stride, he didn't want the red head to follow him, he was the epitome of temptation to Roxas. Roxas had never been tempted by anything, always one to avoid anything of the sort but Axel had everything beckoning Roxas to sin, _everything_.

By the time Roxas got home, he knew his father was there. His car was in the large driveway and the porch light was on. Roxas swallowed thickly before sliding his key into the lock and opening the door slowly. He had gotten lost on his way home, and it was now early evening. Roxas could barley feel his shoulder, he was sure there was a bruise on it the size of a small city.

"Roxas?" his father's voice called from the kitchen. Large boxes littered their home for they had yet to unpack, he made his way around them and into the large, brightly lit kitchen where his father was hanging a wooden crucifix over the stove.

"I'm so sorry I came home late, sir" Roxas said quickly, looking at his father with pleading eyes. Ever since he was smaller, he had never been allowed to call his father anything of the sort. His father demanded to be called Sir, claiming that the only father of Roxas' was in heaven.

"What is your reason?" his father asked, his deep voice ringing through the empty house as he turned to look at Roxas with eyes just as blue, only so much colder.

"I got lost on my way back, this city is so much bigger and I wasn't sure which way to go" Roxas said quietly, twisting the hem of his cardigan's sleeve in between his thumb and index finger.

"Very well, I expect that you know your way home now and tomorrow you'll here by 3:30. You may go do your homework now" his father said turning, and taking a few things out of the box by his feet.

"Roxas, you also have to unpack" he said just as Roxas left the kitchen. How was he supposed to unpack, and finish all his work?

In his room he tossed his bag onto his bed which had been made earlier that morning, his furniture was already set up, all he had to do was set everything in its proper place. There were so many boxes though, so he decided he'd do all the work from school then unpack. He emptied the contents of his bag and began working on every assignment he had missed.

Around 6:30 his father called him for dinner, and Roxas stared at the papers scattered all over his bed before sighing and going towards the kitchen, the dinning room was a door off to the right and he walked in. His father was seated, and everything was set as Roxas slipped into the seat furthest from his father.

"Are you going to say grace?" his father asked, lacing his fingers in front of him elegantly and bowing his head when Roxas nodded. Roxas laced his fingers together and stared at his father as he said grace.

It wasn't that he hated his father, he was just afraid of the man. He had been in the army years before he started helping at their local church, and something just wasn't right in the man's head. He claimed to be a man of God, and he passed that down to Roxas, even if the boy didn't want it. Roxas attended church at least 4 times a week, sitting in the pews during mass or sometimes carrying the offering during the service. His father insisted that he be close to God, his father said that because of his loss of faith, Roxas' older brother Sora was lost. His father had disowned Sora, and kicked his mother out of the house when he found Sora with his long time friend from Sunday school, Riku. Roxas' mother defended her son and they were thrown out of the house. Roxas missed his mother and brother but his father always punished him if he even mentioned them in the house. They were lost to the devil.

Roxas blinked realizing that grace had been very long; he whispered a quick Amen and they began to eat. His father watched Roxas, and it made the boy uneasy. He knew his father would never know about Naminé or Axel, or that he was thinking about his mother but just the man's intense stare was enough to cause his fork to falter on its way to his mouth.

"Are you going to tell me how your first day at…that school was?" his father asked, cutting a piece of his chicken and staring at his plate. Roxas' eyes were fixed on his plate as well and his head was bowed slightly.

"Roxas?" his father questioned sternly, snapping Roxas out of his daze and making him look up.

"It was fine, I like my classes they aren't very hard" Roxas said and tried to smile at his father though the scowl on the man's face showed he had said something wrong.

"Your classes should be hard, that way you challenge yourself and have no room to think of temptation and sin" his father reprimanded looking quite displeased.

"I'm sure they will be challenging sir, they are all advanced courses" Roxas said, trying to fix his error from before. His father's scowl did not soften though; it was still harsh and cutting. Roxas felt like sinking under the table.

"I've decided that you are to write out bible pages everyday after school, that way you don't loose your path to righteousness by being in the public school system" his father said, and continued to eat. Roxas simply nodded and hung his head. He wasn't sure how he was going to deal with all the work from school, plus the work his father was giving him.

"Yes sir" Roxas said after a quiet pause, and continued to eat. The rest of the dinner was passed in silence until Roxas was excused and sent to his room to finish his school work.

By the time he was finished it was almost midnight, he got off his bed and began putting everything away as quietly as he could. His father would be furious if he found him awake at this hour.

"Roxas" his father's voice sounded through the room from the door way, and said boy froze, anxiety rippling through his body.

"Why are you still awake?" his father said, the stern tone of voice let Roxas know he wasn't pleased at all.

"I just finished all my work, I…I had to catch up" Roxas answered licking at his dry lips as he turned to face his father. The man was tall so it was obvious the only gene Roxas had gotten from his mother was her height. Other then that, he was the spitting image of his father. The man scowled and looked around Roxas' empty room.

"Have you not unpacked yet?" he asked and Roxas winced. His father was getting angrier and angrier with him, he could tell.

"No, I'm sorry sir. I've just been doing 3 months worth of assignments...I" he was cut off by his father crossing the room with three long strides.

"What have I told you about giving me excuses Roxas?" the man said sternly and Roxas shrunk back, looking for somewhere to hide in case his father got really angry.

"I'm sorry, it's just I wanted to do them well" Roxas said quietly

"Speak up boy" his father said, his scowl deepened when Roxas shrunk back even more. He stepped closer and gripped Roxas' collar in his large hands, shaking the small teenager until he wasn't hunched over and lifted him enough so that he was staring right into his identical blue eyes.

"And look at me when I am speaking to you"

Roxas was blinking back tears, the grip his father had on him was choking him, the tips of his toes barley brushing the white carpet below. He couldn't cry though, not in front of his father. His father was a retired Army General; he would not stand to see his _only_ son cry.

"Why are you crying?" His father hissed and Roxas swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking.

"I'm not Sir" he wheezed and his father released his collar causing him to stumble a bit when his feet made contact with the floor.

"I expect everything unpacked by the time I return from Church tomorrow Roxas, I should be home by 4 o'clock. That is more then enough time to have things unpacked, your homework finished and the bible pages. We are to attend the evening mass" and with that his father left the room, slamming the door harshly on his way out.

Roxas collapsed on his bed, tears silently falling from his eyes as he slipped under the covers. He missed his mother, and he missed his brother but they were far from him.

As he fell asleep he realized that he hadn't said his evening prayers and though it should have bothered him, it didn't.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, so you've all met Roxas' father now and have alittle bit more of a background story. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. And to those of you who favorited or story alerted this, thank you so much!

Thank you for reading and review if you'd like (:

Next chapter should be up soon, I hope x]


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
**_Reverting To Old Ways_

Roxas woke to his door being knocked on, he was tired, but his father would not be kept waiting so he peeled back the sheets and silently got ready for school. When he was ready, he picked up his messenger bag and slipped on his shoes. His father had already left, but Roxas was never sure where he went exactly.

Locking his front door he walked towards his new school, after getting lost a few weeks ago he had gained quite a good sense of where he lived. He was getting quite familiar with the walk to and from school. The walk to his school didn't take him more then 20 minutes, and when he arrived he was surprised to see most of the school's populace standing outside in a large circle. They were shouting, some pumping their fists into the air and Roxas stared at the large group. In all his years he had never seen anything like it, even stranger was that there appeared to be an opening in the middle of the large circle. He spotted Naminé standing on the outskirts of the group, trying to squeeze in. She was shouting something, and looked rather angry. Roxas approached her and tapped her shoulder, simultaneously trying to peer over the people's heads.

"Oh, Roxas" Naminé said as she turned and spotted him, he smiled faintly at her as she gripped his wrist, pushing through the people with more force.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying to strain his voice to be heard over all the screaming, chanting students.

"It's Axel" was all she said and they had neared the clearing.

In the middle were Axel and another boy with long blonde hair, and Roxas new something was terribly wrong when he caught sight of Axel's bleeding nose and the other teenager's split open lip, black eyes and oddly angled nose. Axel was shouting so many obscenities it made Roxas wince; he had never heard so many vulgarities from one person alone. But from the few weeks of being acquainted with Axel, he learned that the boy had quite a colourful vocabulary. Axel gripped the other teen's collar and lifted him, they were now face to face and he could hear Axel clearly.

"You fucking say anything like that again and I will fucking kill you Vexen, I swear to God I will" and Roxas scowled at Axel using the Lord's name in vain, and at the fact that he was threatening the life of another person. The boy, Vexen, just stared at Axel, his pale hands were over top of Axel's gloved ones and it appeared that the contact disgusted the punk. He pushed the boy down and kicked him before stalking off and disappearing from the crowd. Naminé cursed and gripped Roxas' wrist before chasing after the tall redhead.

"I hope this doesn't change anything between us as friend, usually once people see Axel's…anger problem they tend to stay at a distance" Naminé said as they jogged quickly past the students to go find Axel.

Roxas decided to stay silent, he wouldn't judge Axel. That wasn't his place but the Lord's, or so his father always told him. When Naminé stopped she was at the back of the school, and Roxas could see Axel leaning against a brick wall with a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. Naminé tugged Roxas towards the other boy and when they neared him, Roxas noticed that his nose was no longer bleeding and he seemed a lot less crazed and angry.

"Hey there" he said easily around his cigarette, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke away from them. Naminé stopped, her hands on her hips as she regarded him with a stern, motherly expression. Axel chuckled weakly before crushing his cigarette against the brick wall behind him and cracking his back.

"Don't _'hey there'_ me Axel Flint, just what was happening back there?" Naminé asked angrily and Axel sighed, before spotting Roxas a few steps behind and smiling at the boy who looked terrified.

"Nam, shut up you're scaring Roxas" Axel said, completely ignoring Naminé and walking towards Roxas. The blonde stared as Axel approached him, he was wearing these red plaid pants that seemed too tight but yet fit him perfectly, the chains and belts still present,he was wearing a black and white stripped shirt underneath the same leather jacket. Not as much black as the first day they met.

Roxas stared down at himself, he was wearing a different black cardigan, white button down and black slacks but he looked exactly as he did everyday. He never liked his wardrobe, though he did like black and white.

"Good morning, Roxas" Axel spoke with a voice like crushed velvet, and Roxas tried to stop the shiver that danced along his spine. _It is a sin, it is a sin_, he kept repeating in his mind.

"Good morning" he replied.

Blue eyes looked up and locked with laughing green, and he noticed the small purple bruise on Axel's high cheek bone. He tried to stop himself, but before he could he found himself gently petting the small bruise with the pad of his index finger. When Axel sighed and shut his eyes, Roxas pulled away as if he was burnt. What was he doing?

He sucked both his lips into his mouth and tried to ignore the funny look Axel was giving him, he opted for taking the light off himself and shinning it back on Axel.

"Who was that…the boy you were hitting?" Roxas asked which seemed to upset the previously silent Naminé.

"Yes Axel, please tell me why you were punching Vexen!" Naminé almost shouted, she gripped Axel's tricep and looked at him. Roxas noticed that she treated the redhead like her own offspring.

"He said some things that I didn't agree with, so I shut his mouth" Axel said bitterly and touched the bridge of his nose gingerly.

"Fucker landed a good hit, made my nose ring jab into my septum" Axel said, though the smile on his face would make it seem like he enjoyed the hit. Roxas realized for the first time that Axel did have a nose ring, it was a small silver spike sticking out of his left nostril and the boy couldn't help but think it looked good on the red head.

"Axel, you have such a dirty mouth" Naminé chastised as the three of them began to walk out of the parking lot and towards the school's side entrance. Axel tossed his head back and laughed loudly, Roxas watched his long pale neck, the muscles moving under his skin, his Adam's apple bob as the teenager laughed. Roxas started when he realized what he was doing and looked down at the ground ashamedly.

"Oh Nam, you have no idea" Axel said between laughs and the girl hit his arm blushing furiously.

"You're so disgusting" she hissed but the smile betrayed her look of disgust.

Roxas watched the two friends closely and tried not to feel jealous at their relationship. He decided he'd try and join the conversation but he needed to know something first.

"Are either of you religious?" He found himself asking, and both teenagers stopped to look at him. Axel raised a thin brow and Naminé smiled softly before shaking her head.

"Not really, my mother attends some masses and we celebrate Christmas but other then that, no. Which is why I come to Lawrence heights"

"Axel?" Roxas asked, for some reason he really wanted to know what the redhead thought and the boy seemed to be thinking long and hard about his answer.

"I'm not catholic or anything if that's what you want to know" Axel said after a slight pause, they all resumed walking and Roxas felt himself frowning. He knew for sure his father would not approve of his new friends, if they even were his friends.

"What about you Rox?" Axel asked and nudged the smaller boy, when Roxas looked up he saw the friendly smile on Axel's face and his stomach flipped. Maybe he was wrong, maybe they were friends?

"I am Catholic" Roxas said, it came out sounding clipped because if he were to continue his sentence, he would probably say something he'd regret and he'd have to pray for forgiveness for thinking harshly about Catholicism.

It was not that Roxas didn't believe in God, he did, he just didn't want to believe in the cruel, hateful God his father painted out for him. His mother had believed in God, only her view on the Lord was a lot different from his father's. The God his mother used to tell him about was kind and loving. That was the main reason he prayed, he would never ask for forgiveness before because his mother told him the Lord understood him, he was only human. His father on the other hand, told him God would condemn him for all his errors and all this bad thoughts. And after reading bible story after bible story he was starting to believe that God really was cruel and so he asked for the Lord's pardon whenever he did something sinful or even close to it.

"Hey Rox, you alright?" Roxas was brought back to reality by Axel waving his hand in front of his face, he almost smacked face first into the other's palm.

"Oh, I'm sorry" he said softly and Axel furrowed his eyebrows together.

"Can you speak a little louder?" Axel said, and Roxas immediately bowed his head in apology again. Naminé and Axel shared a confused look before Axel gripped Roxas' chin gently but the boy still flinched.

"Hey…you don't have to apologize, just…speak up" Axel said softly, a charming smile on his face as he looked at Roxas. The boy's cheeks began to heat up and he moved his chin away from Axel, excusing himself before leaving the two teens standing in the school's foyer in a confused stupor.

Roxas rushed into the boy's bathroom and locked himself in the last stall, fumbling through his bag until he found his miniature bible. He pulled the small book with the red leather covering out and clutched it to his chest.

"Dear Lord, forgive me for everything I've been doing wrong lately" Roxas murmured softly, flipping through the bible to read an entry like his father had programmed him to do. That's how Roxas was, he never did anything because he wanted or didn't want do, he did it because he knew he had to.

That was until Axel and Naminé showed up with their unreligious views and shook up his fragile mind.

Roxas was never as discontent with his life until a few weeks ago. He watched how Axel simply did whatever he wanted; he watched how Naminé flirted happily with a boy she supposedly liked. It was been two weeks since his first day, and he had observed them closely. He had met their other friends but their names escaped him. Roxas wanted to be like them, he wanted to be able to say something without worrying if it was going to upset his father or even God. He wanted to be a part of these weekend outings Axel and Naminé talked about, he had been invited but declined. His father would never let him go.

Roxas felt tears welling up in his eyes as he stared down at the little red bible. This book was supposed to contain all of life's answers, wasn't it? Then how come he couldn't find any answers in it?

"Roxas?" when he heard Axel's soft voice his heart began to hammer in his chest. He raised his legs up and hid from the other boy's view.

"Rox, come on I know you're in here" Axel said, Roxas could hear the faint annoyance in the punk's tone and bit his lip.

"Why'd you run away Roxas? What's up with you? Since I've met you, you've been worrying me. Always apologizing for nothing and being so…I don't know. Maybe you're just quiet, but if that's the case just tell me" Axel was talking, pacing back and forth in front of Roxas' stall but the boy said nothing.

What was he going to say anyways? He didn't even know what was wrong, no one had ever questioned him before but maybe that was because back at St. Andrews all the boys held his religious beliefs, some of the rowdier boys from the school always captivated him but he had never spoken to them like he had to Axel. Maybe his behavior was unorthodox, but it was what his father expected of him. He was to be silent, well mannered and never speak what was on his mind.

Roxas let a few tears slip out of his eyes as he heard Axel sigh, and leave the bathroom. His chains and heavy boots let Roxas know when the boy was far from the bathroom. The sounds disappeared as Axel probably walked towards his class.

"Lord please, give me an answer" Roxas whimpered softly, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve and getting off the toilet seat. He had to get to class, even if he didn't want to.

He had never felt these things before, the only friend he had ever had in life was his older brother Sora. Sora had always been the more rebellious of the two, constantly getting spanked by their father for speaking his mind and telling their father he was wrong about something. Sora never backed down, when he didn't want to attend mass, he didn't. Roxas went even when he didn't want to. Sora refused to read bible passages, where as Roxas even wrote them out. Sora, who had disappeared with their mother long ago, had been Roxas' only true companion.

Roxas wondered why his mother had never contacted him, but then he remembered something. He remembered that just before he moved, his father had been on the phone with someone. His father had been furious, and just a week after that phone call they had moved out of the country and into their new house.

Roxas frowned; he didn't want to think these things about his father. He had to trust the man, it was his father. God frowned upon those who didn't trust their parents, but how could Roxas push this new realization from his mind? He closed his eyes and prayed silently on his way to class.

The bell wouldn't ring for another 15 minutes, but Roxas was already seated, his books out and everything sorted neatly on the top of his desk. In this class he sat beside Naminé, but he didn't know if he wanted to be near the girl anymore.

Axel and Naminé were causing too many questions to arise in his mind; they were complicating the order of his life, making him realize that the way he lived was far from alright. He decided that he didn't want to have friends, or keep secrets from his father. It all went against God and everything Roxas was taught to believe in.

He decided that starting today; he would no longer consider himself friends with the two other teens. Being alone meant less temptation, and he could finally stop asking for forgiveness every night.

* * *

**A/N:** Awe Roxas ):  
Thats all I really have to say about this chapter lol.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed chapter three (:  
Let me know if you did, and what you thought if you'd like. I'd love to hear from you.

Oh and I just realized that I don't have a witty disclaimer on the other two chapters, so I'm going to attempt at one?  
I don't know xD

But honestly, if you're reading an _AxelxRoxas_ fic you obviously know these characters aren't mine right? I mean, thats why you're on fanfiction. You totally had to search for the Kingdom Hearts Archive and then select Axel and Roxas to find this story.  
There is no way I can claim ownership, though I'd love to 8D

Total rant, right there ^ Anyways, thanks again for reading (:  
Stay tuned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
**_Abominations_

Roxas was dreading arriving at school. He had ignored Naminé and Axel for the entirety of yesterday, and he knew they both would have questions. Walking towards the front entrance of the school, he tried to think of ways to avoid them, though it wasn't neighborly of him or even kind.

He walked in and the gust of warm air seeped into his clothes, it was December so the weather was progressively getting colder and colder. The school was far from silent; many of the students were wondering the halls waiting for classes to begin. Roxas made his way up the stairs quickly, not passing by any of the places Naminé or Axel usually hung around. Just as he went to climb the last set of stairs, he spotted two familiar faces. They were friends of Naminé and Axel but their names escaped him, he hoped it was the same for them with his name.

"Yo, Roxas!" the boy with the spiked up, dirty blonde hair said happily, his smile bright. Roxas was startled but climbed up the steps quickly, nodding his head in greeting to the two boys.

"Why the rush, Rox?" The blonde boy said, staring at him curiously as Roxas went to pass by the blue haired teen that was sitting beside him, large leather bound book in his lap.

"I want to get to my locker" Roxas said quietly, and climbed the rest of the way. The boy watched him and a slight frown took over his face.

"You do remember us right? I'm Demyx and this is Zexion, Axel's buddies! We had lunch a few days go" The boy said, thinking the reason behind Roxas' odd behavior was simply because he didn't know him.

"I know" Roxas said and quickly pushed the doors at the top of the stairs open, leaving a confused Demyx and silently curious Zexion.

Thanking the Lord for taking pity on him and emptying the hall ways, Roxas went to his locker. While he was busy putting his books away, he failed to notice Axel leaning against the lockers to his right. The punk watched the silent boy with curious eyes, amused grin on his face as he wondered how long it would take Roxas to notice he was there.

When Roxas did spot him, he dropped his messenger bag with a startled yelp. Papers, notebooks and textbooks spilled from his bag and onto the floor making the shorter boy blush and kneel to pick them up. Axel chuckled before joining Roxas on the floor and collecting the papers furthest from the boy.

"A little jumpy aren't we, Roxas?" Axel questioned between chuckles, neatly stacking the papers. Their fingers touched briefly when they both tried to pick up the same textbook. Roxas felt his stomach flip uncomfortably and his cheeks felt too warm. He retracted his hand much too quickly, causing Axel to cast a curious glance at the silent boy, his smile soon disappearing into a frown. Roxas was ignoring him.

"…Roxas?" Axel asked, but the boy didn't look up. Instead, he stuffed his papers in his bag and stood quickly. Axel gathered the other papers and stood up too, effectively blocking Roxas' exit.

"Roxas, are you alright?" Axel asked, but the boy didn't answer. Roxas was praying silently in his head, begging Axel to leave him alone, but if the redhead was anything, he was definitely persistent.

"May I have my papers?" Roxas asked, sticking his hand out and trying to stop it from shaking. He was afraid and nervous. He didn't know what the redhead was thinking and he didn't even want to begin to wonder.

Axel handed them over silently and when Roxas looked up, he regretted it greatly. The redhead's face was distressed, his eyes showing signs of worry and confusion. Roxas looked down, the expression on the taller boy's face caused an uncomfortable tightness in his chest and he couldn't bear it. He stuffed the papers in his bag quickly and turned to leave. Of course, he would have to go downstairs to the second floor and across the catwalk then use the other staircase to get to his class on the third floor again, but he preferred that to asking Axel to move.

"Roxas, wait..." Axel called quickly and grabbed the boy's thin arm. There was a small bruise on Roxas' bicep from where his father had grabbed him a few nights ago, it caused a slight sting when the redhead applied pressure, but it was to make sure he wouldn't break free and run. Roxas had a vague feeling that if the redhead new he was hurting him, he would let go immediately…unlike his father.

"What's going on?" the redhead asked, his voice laced with worry and Roxas tugged weakly against his hold. He didn't want to face all these questions now; he didn't want to face them ever.

"Nothing, now please let me go Axel," he tugged again, never once looking at the punk in the face.

"Roxas, that's bullshit!" the taller boy hissed, his large hand tightened around Roxas' thin arm.

"Axel, please, you're hurting me," Roxas whimpered, yet he didn't look at Axel. He felt the large hand loosen its hold until he tugged and stumbled away from the redhead.

"Sorry but Roxas…all I want to know is if you're alright. I'm your friend," the sincerity in the redhead's voice was almost believable but Roxas knew better. If he were to be friends with Axel, only bad things could follow. The boy was on the wrong path, he smoked, he did not pray and he went against every commandment that God gave humanity. Roxas simply couldn't associate himself with the boy, what would his father think of him if he ever found out?

"We aren't…friends," Roxas said quietly and Axel was silent for a few seconds, a whispered 'oh' was all Roxas heard before he gently brushed past Axel and went to his classroom.

He dropped in his seat tiredly, that short confrontation with the redhead had worn him out. His chest felt tight, and he couldn't breathe very well. He tried to busy himself with sorting out his papers on the top of his desk; he tried to distract himself from the memories flitting behind his eyelids.

The warmth of Axel's fingertips when they brushed over his hand, the punk's frown, his sad eyes, and the horrible confusion that was all over his face when Roxas walked away, but worse of all was the broken sounding voice when he had muttered that _'oh'_. Roxas could hear it over and over and it was driving him crazy.

5 minutes before the bell Naminé walked into the classroom, wearing white skinny jeans with a large white, wool sweater. Roxas watched as she walked towards him. He could see that she was not smiling but instead she looked very serious. She took her seat beside him quietly and Roxas fidgeted a bit, but after a few minutes of silence he began to calm down that is until she shifted and faced him.

"Roxas are you alright?" she asked softly and Roxas frowned, again with that question.

"I'm fine," he said and looked straight, his eyes burning from staring too hard at the whiteboard.

"Well, I just figured something was the matter seeing as you didn't speak to me in any of your classes then you disappeared at lunch. I was wondering if maybe you were upset with either Axel or me," her eyes were kind as she looked at Roxas, the deep blue seeming lighter in the bright light of the classroom. Roxas couldn't find anything to say, he couldn't lie to her but then again he didn't want to tell her the truth. He wondered if he would have to pray for forgiveness later for not being truthful with these people.

"I just…I don't have time for friendships" Roxas spoke coldly; he never even knew he could use that tone on anyone.

Naminé seemed stricken; she just stared at Roxas with her too blue eyes. They were larger then dinner plates and her bottom lip jutted out slightly in a mini pout. The teacher chose that moment to walk in, cutting off all chatting and demanding the focus of all students. Naminé swallowed thickly before shifting and facing the front, Roxas felt his heart sink. He had lost the only friends he had ever even had.

The lunch bell rang, and Roxas was glad that after lunch all he would have left was World History. He walked along the halls alone, he didn't like going to the cafeteria it was always too loud and crowded. He especially didn't like the idea of going to the cafeteria now because that's where Axel and Naminé would be with their group of friends.

He stopped in front of the second floor bathroom, pushing the door back slowly and walking in. He held his breath when he spotted bright red hair; it was Axel leaning against the sink. He contemplated how successfully he would be able to run out of the bathroom without Axel seeing him. However by the time he had decided his plan of action, Axel had looked up and spotted him. The tall punk smiled softly, but didn't say anything. It's almost as if he sensed Roxas' discomfort with the situation.

"I'll leave if you want," the redhead said lowly as he pushed himself away from the sink. Roxas looked at him, briefly wondering why he was in the bathroom.

"You…You don't have to," Roxas said, biting his bottom lip briefly to keep any more words from pouring out.

"Roxas…are you sure you're alright?" Axel asked, walking towards the boy who had slowly backed himself into the wall. Roxas was torn between nodding or shaking his head.

"You seemed fine with being friends a few weeks ago, why did you change your mind? Was it because of my fight with Vexen?" Axel seemed too worried about what Roxas thought; it was so strange to the small blonde to have someone actually care about his thoughts and opinions.

"No Axel, it's not that," Roxas whispered softly trying very hard not to look up at Axel. Axel was now a few paces in front of him, Roxas could see the tips of his scuffed, leather boots from behind his blonde bangs.

"We just can't be friends," Roxas continued when Axel seemed too quiet. The older boy made a strange sound in his throat, which caused Roxas to look up.

"And why not?" Axel asked cocking his hip out and placing his large hand on it, a gesture that would have made Roxas' father sick.

"We are much too different," Roxas said, tearing his eyes away from Axel's narrowed eyes.

"So, this is about me?" Axel said, his voice was slowly starting to sound angrier by the second. Roxas cringed away because it _was_ about Axel. He just didn't want to tell him.

"Who told you?" Axel hissed, hands shooting out and curling up in Roxas' cardigan. The frail boy yelped in surprise and looked at Axel's face that was now only inches away. What he saw in those eyes was anger, hurt and fear.

"Told me…what?" Roxas managed to sputter out and Axel rolled his venomous eyes skyward.

"I bet it was Vexen…he was the one that started spreading it around the entire school," Axel seemed to be talking to himself more then anything. Roxas gave him a confused look and tried to tug against Axel's strong grip on his cardigan. The material was wrinkling in between Axel's fisted hands, and as hard as Roxas tired, he could not loosen the grip.

"He told you I was gay, didn't he? And now you don't want to talk to me because of that whole fucking gay by association right?" Axel was furious, he was not screaming at Roxas but his green eyes seemed acidic, shinning with anger.

Roxas' mind reeled. Axel was a _homosexual_. An _abomination_ in front of the Lord's eyes, one of the most _condemned_ beings on earth. The redhead should have repulsed Roxas, so Roxas decided that he had to be repulsed by the touch. Axel was one of the devil's followers. The small boy tugged even more harshly against Axel's grip.

"Let me go right now! You're going to burn in hell" Roxas hissed, he had never been so confused as to his emotions before. Something was telling him that this was how he had to react to the news even if a voice in the back of his mind was telling him something else. His father would have been proud no doubt, but why did being disgusted feel wrong to Roxas?

"What?" Axel said, suddenly dumbfounded he released Roxas.

"You heard me! In the bible…it says all of your kind will burn in hell" Roxas found himself saying, he didn't even believe what he was saying, he just knew he had to say it.

"All of my kind? Roxas, I'm a human being…" Axel seemed stunned, and that was probably why he wasn't furious, it was probably why he didn't punch Roxas square in the face.

"It says in the bible…you're an abomination" Roxas saw the hurt spread across the redheaded punk's face faster then wildfire, then it was replaced by anger and he moved with a feline swiftness. He grabbed Roxas once again by his cardigan and slammed the boy against the cool tile of the bathroom.

"Say that again, I fucking dare you Roxas Baine," Axel hissed and Roxas found himself choking on fear.

"Put me down Axel," he whimpered and the redhead released him, he crumpled to the floor.

"Your bible says I'm an abomination right? It also says every one who has pride is an abomination, so what do you make of all those parents who are proud of their children? It says liars are abominations, but who hasn't lied? Oh for crying out loud Roxas, it says eating shellfish is an abomination" Axel didn't sound angry anymore, he just sounded very tired.

All Roxas could do was stare at the punk, amazed that he knew anything of the bible.

"I've heard it all before Roxas, you're not the first to tell me I'm going to burn in hell…but you're the first who's _hurt_ me by saying it," Axel whispered in Roxas' direction before stomping out of the bathroom, leaving the smaller boy in his crumpled heap on the floor. Tears filled Roxas' eyes because he wasn't disgusted with Axel, he was disgusted with himself.

However, this is how it had to be, this is how it was going to be even if the tightness in his chest was unbearable. Even if he wanted to ask Axel to forgive him, he couldn't. Axel was an abomination and Roxas just could not be friends with him. His father would never allow him to be friends with Axel, the Lord would never accept it.

Nevertheless, Roxas wanted Axel to be his friend so badly but in the end his father's words blocked out his own.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, I simply hate the fact that homosexuality is one of the only abominations that's ever pointed out by anyone who is against it. How about pointing out bald eagles and telling anyone who likes them that the bird is an abomination?

Ugh _pointless_!

Sorry. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you don't want to kill Roxas xD  
I was thinking on switching the point of view for a few chapters but I'm still debating it also who's point of view would I use?  
Tell me what you think?

So, thanks for reading and review if you see fit (:


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five  
**_Liars May Seek Forgiveness_

Roxas walked home, his head held down in what could be taken as shame. He never realized how horrible it would feel to have Naminé and Axel stop talking to him; they had even stopped looking at him. Naminé went to her locker and removed her things in silence, Roxas stood at his locker fitting overly large textbooks into his bag and not once did she glance at him with a warm smile, or ask how he was getting home. He had done it, he was now completely alone.

His father's car wasn't in the drive when he arrived which he took as a blessing. Seeing as he no longer had Axel pestering him after school about giving him a ride in that black Cadillac he had gotten home at least 15 minutes earlier. Dropping his book bag onto his bed, he went immediately to his desk and pulled out his home bible. It was a lot bigger then the one he carried with him everywhere he went. Its large black cover had the word Holy Bible written across it in golden cursive. Opening to the pages his father had assigned, he began to read, his black pen flying neatly across the page as he wrote down word after holy word.

When he was done with that, he stacked the papers neatly on the side of his desk and got up to get his homework. Just as he was sitting down, his bedroom door flew open and his father strode in. Anyone who hadn't really known Roxas' father would have guessed he was calm and collected, but only Roxas could see that something was deeply troubling his father. The man's anxiety twisted behind his blue eyes, and his worry made his lips press together much too tightly to be relaxed.

The man sat on the edge of Roxas' painstakingly neat bed and looked at the boy, silently demanding his full attention. Roxas stopped organizing his papers and turned to his father.

"Yes, sir?" he asked tentatively, and the man just watched him with calculating eyes.

"Roxas, over these few weeks I've been observing you and I think it is time for you to know why your mother and brother are no longer with us," His father spoke with feigned sadness, Roxas knew he didn't miss them at all but he held silent and let the man continue.

"You see, your mother and brother had fallen into the darkness and had left behind our Lord and Savior. Sora…he was totally lost by the time I had figured out what was happening between him and that…young man, and he simply would not repent. Your mother supported his atrocities, which left me no choice but to distance us from them. You and me, Roxas. I had to protect you from them before they dragged you into hell with them," his father was completely serious, and Roxas wanted to scream.

"What was Sora…doing?" Roxas asked and his father's eyes hardened

"He was laying with Riku…and Roxas you know that is against God's will," Roxas had always had a feeling that was what happened, but now he knew the truth and the only thing on his mind was Axel.

He compared his brother and Axel quickly in his mind. They were both so kind, they both didn't care what others thought of them, they both held no malice or evil behind their eyes or smiles. It made him wonder, why were they an affront to the Lord?

"I hope you understand son, your mother and brother were no good. Why, they were barley themselves by the time I told them to leave. It would have cost you your soul if I had let them stay," and with that, his father left the room, one last order of Roxas finishing his work before dinner.

Roxas stood though, and walked towards his bedroom window. His mind was a chaotic mess, and he really had no idea what was right or wrong anymore. His father told him that what Axel and Sorawere was something loathsome and vile, yet he failed to see it. His own mother was to be treated like a leper, yet he wanted to see her again. He quickly dropped to his knees, his blue eyes trained out towards the dark sky. Folding his hands together, he prayed and prayed. He begged the Lord forgiveness for any wrong he had done, he begged for God to give him answers. What was he to do? He wanted to be friends with Axel, he wanted to speak with Naminé, he wanted his mother and brother back but his father said it would all cost him his soul.

Tears began streaming down his face as he watched the sky, waiting for something, anything to appear. After almost ten minutes he looked away, there was nothing, no signs or holy angels sending him answers. He curled up on his carpeted floor, his chest felt empty and his head was pounding as he wiped at his moist cheeks. He had never felt so alone or confused before in his life, and he needed God so badly now…but why wasn't he getting an answer?

He slowly rose from the floor and sat back at his desk, his vision was blurry as he worked through various math problems, his mind barley registered any of the things he read in his history textbook and by the time he was finished everything and had everything packed, he couldn't stand the never seizing hollowness in his chest.

He clutched at the fabric over his heart tightly, his other hand shakily opening the bible to a random page. He began to read, but found that he did not want to. He was tired of reading this holy book repeatedly, searching for something but always coming out empty. How did his father find everything he searched for, was Roxas missing something? Was he not reading between the lines of each Holy Scripture?

His forehead smacked into the top of his desk with a muffled thud and he groaned biting back more tears. He lifted his head slightly, rested his chin on the cool surface of his desk, and stared blankly at his computer monitor. He had never found much use of the machine, but suddenly he was turning it on. It was fast to load, and before he knew it he was clicking open his email account and staring at the one new message.

The sender was using an alias, but the message was definitely towards Roxas. He didn't know whether he should open it or not, but curiosity got the better of him and he clicked it. It wasn't a very long message so he decided it would do him no harm in reading it.

'_Dear Roxas,  
Should I even right dear? It's an email not a letter…ahh I don't know. Anyways, it's me…Sora! Ta-Da? Hahaha I don't know what to write to you little brother, maybe I should tell you how incredibly hard it was to find your email or maybe I should tell you how mom is? I'm not sure where to start actually, oh wait, I know!_

_Where in the hell are you? Mom, Riku and I went by the old neighborhood (after calling and calling and never getting an answer) and there were these weirdoes living in our old house. Roxas, where did you guys go? Mom wants to fight for your custody so that you can live with us but we can't do that if we have no idea where you are! _

_Mom's really beat up about it, she misses you a lot but that man has custody of you and she can't just take you! Roxas please message me back and tell me where you are, I miss you…and I want you to come home where you belong, not with that psychopath! Rox he's going to hurt you and I hate to think that he might be doing that as I type this! _

_Please, please, please with a cherry on top send me a message back! It's not that hard, but I should explain seeing as you were always a little slow Hahaha! Just click reply to message at the top and type away! I hope to see you soon baby bro._

_Love, Sora'_

Roxas stared at the computer screen, reading the message over and over. This was his brother sending him a message. He bit the inside of his cheek, torn between messaging him back and closing the email. If he replied to Sora, then he would lose his soul…but if he didn't, he would lose his brother and his mother but hadn't he already lost them to the darkness?

"Roxas…what are you doing?" His father's voice called from over his shoulder and he jumped turning around to face the man with wide fearful eyes. His father immediately caught onto the look and pushed Roxas away from the computer, quickly reading the message.

"What is this?" his father hissed, turning to look at Roxas with his blue eyes glazing over with fury. Roxas stumbled away from his father, but only succeeded in backing himself into a wall.

"Why are you speaking with Sora? Where you planning on sending that _demon_a message!" his father bellowed in anger as his arm swept across the desk, smashing the computer to the ground and sending Roxas' homework and bible writings flying into the air in the process. Wires snapped and plastic cracked as the machine hit the wall closest to his desk. Roxas flinched, pushing himself against the wall as his father marched towards him. His father's large hand shot out and gripped him roughly by the hair.

"Answer me boy," he seethed, and Roxas clawed at the hand that was in his hair slowly tearing blonde strand by blonde strand out of his scalp.

"N…n-no, I-I wasn't," he whimpered, his eyes growing misty as the grip tightened on his hair. His father seemed to loose his mind when he was angry, his eyes would fog up and he appeared to be a completely different person.

"Liar!" he father screamed and slapped Roxas so hard, his head would have snapped in the opposite direction were his father not holding his head firmly in place.

"Have I not told you what happens to liars? They are an affront to the Lord, they shall all burn in hell," his father spit venomously before slapping Roxas again. Roxas couldn't hide it, he began crying and the more he tried to swallow his tears the more they leaked from his eyes.

"I'll teach you boy, I'll beat the sin out of you if I have to," his father was saying as he let go of Roxas' hair and the boy fell to the floor, rubbing his scalp tenderly. When he heard his father unbuckle his belt, his eyes grew round with fear.

"S-s-sir, please…I swear…" but before he could finish the belt smacked hard onto his flesh and he yelped out in pain. His father was using the side with the buckle.

"Were you going to swear on the Lord's good name!" his father screamed, bringing the belt down on Roxas again hitting him hard. Roxas tried to crawl away but his father stepped on his back, forcing his face into the carpet as the belt's buckle constantly made contact with his body.

When it was all over his father fastened the belt into his loops and straightened, his chest was heaving as he stared at Roxas' crumpled frame on the floor.

"Let this be a lesson to you boy," he hissed as he stormed out of the room and slammed the door, making it rattle on its hinges.

Roxas slowly straightened, his body crying is agony and each lash pulsing with pain. He could feel his cheek swelling, and he could taste the blood that was oozing out of his split lip. He got up on shaky legs, picking up all the scattered papers being careful not to get blood or tears on them as he placed them in his bag. He moved slowly and changed into his pajamas all while sobbing quietly, choking on each inhale painfully. The full-length mirror hanging on his wall seemed to mock him by showing each and every lash. The angry red welts appeared highlighted against his milky flesh, and he winced as he pulled his t-shirt over the markings.

He knew walking to school tomorrow would be pure torture, and even worse would be having to lie if any teaches asked what happened to his face.

His eyes slowly widened as his father's words rang in his ears

'_Have I not told you what happens to liars? They are an affront to the Lord; they shall all burn in hell'_

Roxas turned and faced the mirror, his cheek was swelling and so was his bottom lip. What was he to do? Would he have to lie, or should he tell the truth? What would his father want him to do?

He turned to his window; the moon was out and seemed to be shinning directly at Roxas. He hiccupped, the last of his sobs dying away as he knelt by the window again. He prayed silently, his head leaning against his folded hands.

He was praying for forgiveness in advance for all the lies he was going to tell tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N:** Expect another update very soon, I was walking to the store and _BAM_inspiration hit me like a ton of cinder blocks!  
I was like 'Woah, I must write!' so I stormed home and instead of working on my Biology ISU, I started typing 8D

But yeah, I can tell that after this chapter I'm gonna have like...a lynching mob for Roxas' Dad hahaha!  
That's alright though, I personally don't like him either.

Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you review!  
I love, love, love hearing from all of you!  
(Woah, anyone else notice my mad rhyming skills?)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six  
**_Feelings_

He left his house extra early; he wanted to get to school and hide as much as possible from the prying eyes of the students of Lawrence Heights. The school was practically deserted when he got there, and he was grateful that neither Naminé nor Axel were around.

He walked through the empty hallways, taking his time before heading towards his locker. Once he got to the third floor, he made his way down the hall to his locker, his head down as he watched his leather shoes. They made no noise on the linoleum tiles and he was thankful for that. When he looked up, he jumped back clutching his chest as a startled shout broke past his lips. Sitting on the floor, heavy, leather bound book in his lap, was Zexion. He lifted his head slightly, his eye looking directly at Roxas who was still clutching at his chest.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you Roxas" Zexion said calmly, and went back to reading that large book. Roxas could not find his voice, his heart still pounding wildly in his chest as he made his way past Zexion towards his locker.

"Axel told me, you know" the blue haired boy said as Roxas opened his locker door, when his words finally registered in his mind he stopped and peered around the door to look at the boy on the floor.

"H-he told you…what?" Roxas said trying to sound as normal as possible, but when Zexion glanced up at him with a look at that said _'Stop playing stupid'_ Roxas looked away and bit at the scab on his bottom lip.

"Roxas, may I ask you something?" Zexion questioned and Roxas nodded without thinking, his blonde bangs swaying with the action.

"What about Axel is an abomination exactly?" Roxas froze, his blood turning cold and sluggish in his veins as he stared into his locker, as if it held the answers he was looking for.

"He…he…" he couldn't force it past his lips

"He likes other men, which is what makes him an abomination in your eyes?" Zexion asked and Roxas nodded stiffly.

"Leviticus 18:22, I am very familiar with that verse. Do you know how many times my father made me read it?" Zexion asked with a bitter smile on his face when Roxas looked at him, interest peeked.

"You…you're catholic?" Roxas asked and Zexion nodded, lifting the leather book to show the title.

"Catholic, and just as Axel is" Zexion said, watching Roxas' face.

Roxas' jaw dropped open as he stared at the boy sitting cross-legged and calm.

"Why are you reading the bible…if..." he could not finish his sentence and Zexion just gave him a look that Roxas did not quite understand.

"I've always enjoyed a challenging read" Roxas swallowed thickly, closing his locker and dropping beside Zexion.

"But…how…I don't understand…" Roxas was greatly confused, if Zexion was just as Axel was, just as Sora was then he followed the Devil…his father had told him so. However, if that was true, why was he reading the word of the Lord?

"What is there to understand Roxas? I believe in God and his teachings, but these are old laws. You have to think that this book is quite dated and as humanity changes so do laws" Zexion closed the bible and shifted so that he was tilted more towards Roxas, the blonde boy seemed lost, his blue eyes wide and searching, but Zexion didn't know what he was searching for.

"Roxas, there are those who follow this book much too closely, having it rule out their lives with old laws." He tapped his spindly index finger on the bibles cover, "then there are those like myself that attend mass and go about their lives, with the Lord there but he doesn't make our decisions. He gave us free-will for a reason," Zexion said a ghost of a smile on his face when Roxas just stared.

"My father followed this book word for word; he drove my mother and me away. I have one word of advice and I ask you to take this with you from out little chat if you take nothing else. Do not follow this" again he tapped the bible "but this," and here he moved his hand and tapped on Roxas' chest, just above his racing heart.

"These stories are only guidelines; we are supposed to make something else of our lives. The Lord will love and accept you if only you accept yourself and embrace the gift he has given you, the gift of life," and with that Zexion stood, dusting off his rear-end with one hand, and holding onto his book with the other. He glanced down at Roxas and smiled a genuine, friendly smile.

"I will not intervene with you and Axel's problems anymore then I have, nor will I tell you what to do to make it better but I will ask you to try and make it right." Roxas stayed quiet and Zexion continued

"I know how hard making friends is Roxas, believe me I was just as you are now and I understand the difficulty of accepting things that are out of your comfort zone but when you do embrace everyone's differences life is much brighter" the blue haired boy smiled again, his eyes warming at the mention of his friends.

He waved goodbye to Roxas and left the boy kneeling on the cold tile floor. Roxas just watched the boy walk away, probably to go find the blonde boy with the oddly spiked hair. He stood up on shaky legs; it seemed that everyone was out to jumble his thoughts. He had no idea what to do; he had no idea who he had to listen to anymore. Part of Roxas said he had to listen to his father, part of him wanted to listen to Zexion, then part of him just wanted to listen to himself.

Roxas hadn't noticed when everyone got to the school, but the halls were now filled with happily chatting students, some racing to the library and others were racing to the cafeteria but it appeared that they all had somewhere to be. Roxas walked idly through the halls, not sure where he was going until he found himself out in the cold December air, staring out at the filled parking lot of Lawrence Heights. He spotted a familiar petite blonde, Naminé, walking in the direction he was standing with someone at her side. She stopped a few steps away, the teenager beside her cocked his head towards Roxas, and she said something before turning and heading the opposite direction. The boy that had been walking with her did not follow instead he stalked towards Roxas.

"Hey kid," the boy with pink hair stopped right in front of Roxas, his eyes were murderous. Roxas looked up at him, his stomach twisting at the sight of such a handsome face. The boy narrowed his blue eyes and flicked his long hair away from his shoulder.

"I heard what you said to Axel, and I'll tell you this once okay? If you have a problem with him you've got a problem with me and I won't hesitate to break your nose like he did," he spit out, and bent at the waist to be at eyelevel with Roxas.

"I still don't understand why he didn't…oh wait," The boy examined Roxas' face and began laughing, holding his stomach as he straightened.

"He did punch you didn't he? Thank God, I thought old Ax was going soft on me," The teenager abruptly stopped laughing and shot Roxas a look, the smaller of the two had words lodged in his throat but could not force them out. Instead, he stood there staring up at the boy.

"Marluxia, come here right now!" it was Naminé; she must have realized the boy hadn't followed her. Marluxia, Roxas just remembering him from their lunch so many weeks ago, did no move forcing Naminé to storm over and grip his arm roughly. She did not even look at Roxas, and he was sure she wasn't even going to acknowledge his presence.

"Naminé," Roxas said quietly before she had the chance to drag the laughing boy away, Roxas looked at her through his bangs waiting for her reaction.

"…Yeah, Roxas?" her voice was still soft, even if she was angry with the boy.

"Can I…can I talk to you please…alone?" He finally managed to ask, Marluxia shot him a look filled with poison but Naminé shooed him and soon they were alone.

"What is it?" She asked, and Roxas looked up catching a glimpse of fleeting worry in her ocean eyes.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting…and about those things I said," Roxas looked away, he wasn't sure what he was doing but he knew that he had to do this…for himself.

"Its fine, you don't want to be friends with me or Axel…I understand," she sounded hurt and when he looked at her again, he saw she was hurt.

"No, Naminé, I do…it's just that…I-I can't explain it," Roxas stared at his hands; they looked awkward hanging limply at his sides so his hands began to tug and pick at the hem of his sleeve.

"So you want to be our friend? Does this mean that, well…we're friends again or something?" her voice was small and timid, almost like Roxas' was, but there was excitement underneath it.

"I would like that very much…if you still want me" Roxas whispered and was soon embraced in a warm hug; it filled his insides with something he had never felt before. His lips slowly pulled into a smile as he lifted his previously awkward arms to wrap them around the smaller girl. Her hair, underneath the smell of strawberries carried a faint smell of paint and Roxas remembered her telling him something about loving art.

"Of course Roxas," Naminé whispered into his shoulder as she released him, it was then that she got a good look at the boy's face, even if he was smiling it couldn't hide the bruises or cut lip and her eyes widened.

"Roxas…what happened to your face? Did Axel do that?" She asked, sounding angry and disbelieving. Roxas looked away, his stomach knotting. He could not lie to his friend…could he?

"It wasn't Axel"

"Then who was it?" Naminé moved his bangs away from his forehead and tucked them behind his ear; she examined his entire face and scowled.

"Roxas…?" she asked quietly after the boy didn't answer, he was staring at a point over her shoulder and she turned but found it was at nothing.

"You don't have to tell me now, but promise you'll tell me one day?" she asked and Roxas nodded. The smaller of the two smiled and gripped his hand, tugging his arm towards the school's side entrance.

"Come on, I have a few things to help you hide that" she said and they made their way to the bathroom upstairs, Naminé shoving Roxas into the girl's washroom and locking the door behind her. She searched through her bag, which Roxas noted appeared to be a bottomless pit.

Pulling out a smaller pencil case like thing, she smiled brightly at the boy and pushed him onto the toilet seat, making him sprawl awkwardly so that his bottom wouldn't fall right into the toilet bowl.

"It'll probably feel weird since you've never worn make-up before, right?" she asked as she began to search through the case, pulling out a small sponge and an even smaller tube of some liquid the same colour as skin.

"You and me have a similar complexion so this should do just fine," she said adding dabs of that substance to his face and smudging it in softly with the sponge.

After she was finished with that, she began brushing a powder onto his face and she pulled away examining him, adding a few more brush strokes then proudly exclaiming _"C'est Fini!"_

Roxas stood and they both walked out of the bathroom stall, he went directly for the mirror and looked at his face. The bruises were almost invisible, and the make-up was barely noticeable. You would have to be looking at him very closely to see either. He smiled again and Naminé was surprised by the action.

"Thank you Naminé" Roxas said and hugged the girl again before pulling her out of the bathroom and towards their lockers. Naminé giggled happily and began to chat about something or another but Roxas was busy looking for Axel. His stomach began twisting in that strange way at the mere thought of seeing the redhead again.

"Naminé, where's Axel?" Roxas asked suddenly, they were in the hall where all the junior's lockers were kept but Axel was nowhere to be seen and classes started in a few minutes. Naminé looked around the hall and shrugged her tiny shoulders before heading to her locker and opening it.

"I'm not sure, he probably has a doctor's appointment or something," she said absent mindedly, she was busy stuffing her textbooks into her black hole of a bag.

"Oh" was all Roxas said and stood against the lockers, he felt that odd emptiness in his chest again and he had no idea why.

At lunch he met up with Naminé at their lockers, the girl linked arms with him and they made their way downstairs. Naminé was talking about her teacher, complaining about how ignorant he was when they reached the table. Everyone shot Roxas a look except for Zexion; he simply looked up and greeted Roxas with a nod.

"Alright everyone, try to be civil" Naminé said as she sat, Roxas taking the seat beside her. Marluxia reached over and took a strawberry from the bowl of fruit that had materialized on the table in front of her. She scowled but said nothing as the boy popped the fruit into his mouth.

"So, Rox-ass" someone at the end of the table hissed, and said boy looked up with fearful eyes. Naminé did not miss the tone of the person's voice so she too looked at the person addressing the other blonde.

"Larxene, leave him alone alright?" The boy, Demyx, said quietly. He seemed preoccupied with the music sheets in front of him, millions of black dots with tails covered the page and Roxas could not make heads or tails of it.

"Aw but I just wanted to ask him a question" she leered, and Demyx sent her a look before continuing with his music, the fingers on his left hand moving quickly as if he were playing the instrument.

"You can…ask me if you want" Roxas said and Naminé stared at him, screaming at him with her eyes.

"Oh, I want, I want," Larxene chanted happily, clapping her hands.

"If Catholics are so against fags, how come the priests molest little boys?" she asked with feigned innocence, tilting her head and placing her index finger at her chin.

Marluxia burst out laughing, Demyx's head smacked into the table and he cursed loudly, Zexion's hands gripped the edge of the table hard enough for his knuckles to turn white and Naminé looked shocked.

Roxas simply sat there staring at the blonde girl, his blue eyes wide and filled with horror.

"W-what?" he whispered, his voice sounding too rough but that was because his throat had instantly dried at her question.

"You heard me. Did a priest ever touch you in confession? I simply must know!" she sang happily, some students from other tables turned to regard them and Marluxia appeared to be choking on his air.

Roxas stood up on shaky legs, and made a mad dash out of the crowded cafeteria. He didn't know where he was going but he could not stay there at that table. He forced his eyes to remain dry; he had no reason to cry.

He finally collapsed out in the parking lot of the school, he threw his head back and it smacked into the brick wall with enough force to make small stars burst in front of his eyes. He groaned as he stared up at the sky, its perfection marred by a few thin clouds.

He didn't know why he had reacted the way he did, but he just knew that he didn't want to sit there and have someone talk bad about his religion. He didn't want to have anymore reason to hate what he was meant to believe in.

"Roxas," a quiet voice came from behind him and he turned towards it, his head was throbbing painfully when Naminé came into focus.

She sat beside him and sighed quietly as she settled. She made Roxas rest his head on her tiny shoulder, he found it comforting and left it there as they stared out across the parking lot. It was missing the black Cadillac, and Roxas had never realized how much he liked the car.

"Ignore her please, she just wants to get under your skin," Naminé said softly, she began to run her fingers through his hair slowly, making Roxas close his eyes. It eased the pain in his head a little bit.

"Alright..."

"Axel messaged me," Naminé said after a pause, Roxas shot up faster then he should have and everything spun. Naminé smiled, pulling her phone out of her bag.

"An eager beaver aren't you?" she teased and Roxas felt himself blushing, why had he shot up like that anyways?

"He's fine and he was just at a doctor's appointment, see I told you," she said smiling, her eyes crinkling and shinning with delight as she showed the message to Roxas. Roxas was still blushing, but felt something akin to relief settle in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea why he felt like that.

"Roxas…you're blushing" Naminé said, a knowing glint in her eyes but Roxas had no idea what she knew.

"I-I-I am?" he stuttered, nerves eating away at his stomach at the look she was giving him.

"Yes, you are," She said and smiled even more.

"Oh…" Roxas looked away trying to fight the blush off his cheeks.

"And I _think _I know why," Naminé murmured from beside him, Roxas looked at her but she shook her head.

"But I'm going to let you figure it out by yourself. Come on, we still have fourth period to get to," and she stood up, dusting off her white pants. Roxas following her example as they both headed to their classes.

Roxas was still thinking about what she had meant as they separated at the end of the day, he thought about it till he fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N:** TA-DA!!! Capitulo Seis, Chapter Six, [insert french here]!  
Well, here we go, Roxas finally getting _SOME _sense, not alot but some.  
It _is_ progress for our favorite little blonde 8D

Why was Axel at the doctor? _Well well well_, you'll have to wait and see!  
Lol, it's really not interesting though lmfao!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to hear from you guys!  
Stay tuned, theres definitely more to come!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven  
**_Progress_

Roxas' heart was pounding as he climbed the last set of stairs. He could hear Axel's booming laughter from the staircase and for some reason the sound made him smile, his stomach flipping almost pleasantly inside his torso.

After calming himself and saying a quick prayer, he pushed through the doors and walked down the now familiar hallway. Axel was leaning against the lockers talking to Naminé and Roxas could not quite understand why his feet began to move faster, why they pulled him towards the redhead quicker.

He stopped in front of his locker, and acted as if he didn't notice how Axel's conversation with the blonde girl completely stopped. Naminé also ignored the punk's sudden silence, turning to offer Roxas a friendly smile.

"Hello Roxas," She said in way of greeting and the boy smiled back at her, if not a little shyly in front of the redhead.

"Good morning, Naminé," Roxas said softly, he heard Axel scoff as the teen pushed himself off the lockers. The sound of the boy's leather boots stomping away stung Roxas' ears, a harsh feeling settling itself inside his chest. He watched the punk disappear down the hallway with saddened eyes.

"Don't just stand there, go after him! Explain to him! Axel's all heat and no fire when it comes to his friends. Go on, don't be afraid," Naminé said softly, pushing him gently away from his locker.

Deciding it was something he had to do, Roxas shut his locker and ran after the red-haired teen, he followed him all the way outside where the punk settled against the brick wall and lit himself a cigarette. Stopping uneasily in front of the smoking boy, Roxas simply stared at him. His stomach doing summersaults and filling with an odd fluttering feeling, Roxas had never felt it before. He did not know whether he should be fine with it or ask God to forgive him for it. Then those green eyes travelled slowly, almost painfully slow towards Roxas. When they finally landed on him, they glared and Roxas felt like flinching.

"What do you want Roxas? Come to preach to me, because I've fucking heard it all," the boy hissed and took a long drag from his cigarette, Roxas watched the cherry of it burn brightly before the boy exhaled directly at him. Roxas swatted the air around his face before looking at Axel, hoping beyond hope that his eyes showed how sorry he felt.

"P-please Axel…I-I'm sorry," he found himself saying, staring at the black gravel under his leather shoes.

"Sorry for what Roxas? You're always fucking sorry," Axel's tone was venomous, aiming to hurt and wound Roxas and he was succeeding more then he knew. Roxas' eyes grew misty, he didn't understand why it hurt him so much and before he could stop himself, there were tears slipping down his cheeks. Axel's eyes immediately softened and he crushed the cigarette under his boot, walking towards Roxas.

"Hey…Hey Roxas don't cry" Axel said softly, lifting Roxas' chin until he was looking at the redhead. Their eyes connected and Roxas felt lightheaded, his face immediately flushing a bright red, but he did not look away. He had to do this…for _himself_.

"I'm sorry Axel…please…forgive me for everything I said to you, it's just…M-m-my father…" Roxas was aware that he was not making sense, but he could not talk around his tears. Axel gave him a confused look and Roxas hiccupped, and tried to continue.

"H-he-he says…b-but I didn't mean it…I-I-I want to be friends…please," more tears slipped from Roxas' blue eyes and Axel felt a strange pang in his chest at the sight, almost as a reflex he brought his hand down from Roxas' chin and wrapped both arms around the blonde, pulling the shorter boy's body flush against his own.

Roxas could feel the heat radiating off his face, and he knew he should have pushed Axel off him but instead he wrapped his arms around the boy's slim waist, and buried his face into the boy's chest.

"Roxas, calm down please…I don't know what you're talking about just…stop blubbering…We'll be friends again alright," Axel said, his voice vibrating through Roxas and making the short boy's skin tingle.

What was wrong with him, why was he feeling these things? He didn't have enough time to think because Axel pulled away and held him at his shoulders, their eyes locking again.

"You want to tell me now, that you've calmed down?" Axel asked softly and Roxas sniffled before nodding. He began to fidget with his sleeve hems as Axel squinted at him.

Roxas saw the hand before he felt it, he saw Axel lift his hand and cup his chin. The boy's leather covered thumb smoothing over his bottom lip, and the punk's face contorted into a look of angry confusion.

"Roxas, who gave you all these bruises and split your lip?" he asked, thumb still caressing the boy's bottom lip. Roxas without even noticing leaned into the gentle touch, but when both boys realized what had happened, they separated quickly. Axel scratched at the back of his neck nervously and Roxas went back to staring at the gravel.

The two sides of him fighting; the Roxas created by his father screaming at him, telling him to pray for forgiveness at all this closeness with the redhead, for all his feelings, for even thinking about telling this punk anything. The Roxas that had been shyly peaking his head out from that first day at Lawrence Heights was softly telling him that his feelings felt right, so they were right, he did not have to ask for forgiveness for being human, and he could tell Axel. Roxas decided to listen to the one his father had created.

"It's…it's a long story," Roxas mumbled and Axel had to strain himself to hear. He did not want to tell the boy to speak up though; whenever he did, Roxas would apologize and make him feel guilty.

"We've got time," the green-eyed teen said easily, he could not shake the anger that had risen at seeing the dark marks on the blonde's pale skin. They did not seem right to him.

"Roxas…is that a belt buckle?" he suddenly blurted out and tilted the blonde's face, moving his choppy hair away from the yellowing bruise. The smaller boy pulled away harshly and turned his face away from Axel.

What would Axel think of him if he found out his father beat him? He would probably think the boy was weak, and he would hate him. Roxas had seen how tough Axel and his friends were; they could all take a hit yet Roxas could barley defend himself against his father. He suddenly felt very pathetic.

"Roxas, look at me, now," Axel's voice was stern and Roxas' muscles tensed before he turned. He did not want to, but he had been told to.

"Roxas, are you going to tell me why you have a bruise, in the shape of a belt buckle on your cheek?" Axel asked, he was trying to keep all his rage inside but he was as stable as a grenade without the pin when it came to staying calm and when he exploded, he just exploded loud.

"It's…" Axel cut him off with a wave of his hand and a low growl.

"Don't give me the 'it's a long story' shit Roxas, did your father do that to you?" He asked barley containing the anger from his voice.

"Axel…" just as Roxas was about to answer, the bell rang and Axel cursed loudly.

"What are the chances of you skipping first period?" Axel asked, and Roxas just shook his head before turning and pulling open the door that lead into the school.

"Yeah, thought so…but at lunch you're telling me. I swear to-"

"Please…don't" Roxas said softly as they climbed up the stairs and Axel chuckled.

"Right, right. Lord's name in vain, got it. Zexion's beat you to it Rox," Axel said, smiling.

Roxas had not realized how much he liked Axel's smile. A voice inside him told him it was vile and corrupt to be thinking those thoughts but a softer, quieter voice inside him said that it was all right. The voice was so soft it was almost covered by the boy's obsessive reflex to reach for his bible and pray for thinking of such things. Almost.

He was pulled into the boy's bathroom on his way to the cafeteria, a startled shout broke past his lips and his heart almost jumped out of his mouth.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Axel smiled apologetically and Roxas felt his stomach tighten at the sight of the punk's pearly white teeth. He was…beautiful.

Roxas' eyes widened and he tugged his arm away from Axel, his eyes fixing themselves on the sinks as he asked the lord to forgive him for thinking things like that. The soft voice in his head told him to stop.

"Alright, so, you're going to fess up now. I want the truth, and I swear to…I mean, I promise I won't tell anyone Roxas, just _trust_me," Roxas forced his eyes away from the sinks after he was done his internal prayer and looked at the taller teen.

Axel had cared enough to stop himself from using the lord's name in vain, he had respected Roxas…The blonde's heart began to pump quickly in his chest, his eyes shinning with happiness as he gazed at the redhead before him. Yes, he could trust Axel. He decided to listen to what he wanted to say, not what his father would expect him to.

"It was my father," Roxas said, not liking the way the words bounced off the bathroom walls and danced around them.

"Your father hit you like that?" Axel asked, almond eyes going almost completely round at the news the boy had just blurted out.

"Yes," Roxas said, shifting uneasily. He had never told anyone about this before, the soft voice got a little stronger and praised him.

"Why?" was all Axel could think to ask, and Roxas told him _everything_.

"That…that's really fucked up Rox," Axel said slowly, and Roxas looked at him. Was it really _that_ wrong, to shock the redhead so greatly? He had thought most parents disciplined their children like that.

"I'm sorry," the boy said almost instinctively, and Axel shot him a look. The taller boy crossed his arms over his chest, combat boot tapping angrily on the tiled floor.

"Roxas, I'm going to help you. I'm going to try and get you out of this…_horrible_ mind frame your father's put you in but first…you need to be willing to accept it and admit that it's wrong," Axel watched the boy's face as he considered what he had just said.

"You…you mean that…this is all wrong?" Roxas asked quietly and Axel scoffed.

"It's beyond wrong! No parent has the right to hit their child…like that!" he extended his arms, as if to make a point.

"What else is wrong with me?" Roxas asked, voice quivering.

"Nothing is wrong with you! Ugh, Roxas…see, it's hard to explain but well…you need to stop apologizing and thinking everything bad is because of you! You need to stop praying for forgiveness every time you have your own thoughts! It's not _wrong_to think and feel differently Rox," Axel gave an exasperated sigh and Roxas could not help but smile.

"I want you to help me Axel," he said quietly while Axel ranted about the wrongness of it all, the boy had barley caught the blonde's words.

"Wait…what?" Axel asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I want help…I want to…think freely," Roxas said, a blush taking over his face as Axel broke into a breath taking smile. Roxas quashed the urge (with great difficulty) to ask for forgiveness for liking it. He didn't want to do what his father expected him to anymore.

"Great! But you have to agree to do everything I say, no matter what," Axel said, eyes searching Roxas' face as the boy's featured twisted in confusion but he nodded anyways.

"Awk, you just failed your first test, you're not supposed to agree to do everything I say Rox, think freely!" Axel exclaimed, covering his face with a leather covered palm. Roxas widened his eyes and the apology slipped past his lips before he could stop himself.

The scene was almost comical. Axel standing covering his face, grinning behind his hand as Roxas stuttered apologies for apologizing, flailing his arms around in frustration.

"Axel, this is hard," he breathed, finally stopping with his spew of apologies and Axel pulled his hand away, a brilliant smile on his face.

"YES! Like that" he shouted and Roxas jumped back alarmed.

"You just told me what you think, and that's good!" Axel said, clapping his hands as a giddy giggle escaped his lips. Roxas eyed him oddly and Axel stopped, clearing his throat.

"Sorry, sorry, too gay for you, I understand," he said as a light pink accented his cheeks. Roxas shook his head, about to apologize but bit his tongue.

"It…it was too gay even for you," Roxas said, a smile on his mouth as Axel shot him a faux-glare, the smile on his face destroyed any kind of angry look he tried to pull off.

"That's more like it Rox! You're a very smart boy; we'll make a free thinker out of you yet!" Axel said, throwing his arm over Roxas' shoulders and leading him out of the bathroom. Roxas followed, but because he _wanted_ to.

It felt good to do something because he wanted to, not because he was being told to. He suddenly remembered something.

"A-Axel?" he said quietly as they walked along the halls, the punk looked down at him and stopped his story that had something to do with a cat, a rubber chicken, a few bottles of kerosene and one match.

"Yeah?" the taller of the two replied, smiling happily down at his companion.

"Why...why were you at the doctor's?" Roxas asked, blushing when the redhead chuckled.

"Ah, you'll just have to wait till I want to tell you."

* * *

**A/N**: When I reffered to Axel as _the smoking boy_...I giggled.  
A whole box of cookies goes out to whoever can figure out what the hell Axel's story was about!  
And...what's this, Roxas made a joke!? Oh Lordy help me, it's the apocolypse.  
Or maybe it's just progress.  
Let's just hope it's steady, yeah?  
Yuck, I sound like Wakka xD

Anyways, thank you very much for reading, I hope you all enjoyed this!  
Oh and look out for another story, it just...came to me on the bus!  
I'll see when I can get it up (:  
-no pun intended-

Leave a review if you deem me worthy of your wisdom!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**_Time_

Sunday Mass always began with the small, decrepit woman sitting at the Church organ and playing a song, so depressing Roxas usually found his eyes tearing up. This Sunday was no different, as the priest made his way up the small stage, the organ began to wail its sad hymn and people sang the words they all knew by heart. Roxas hummed along, but only out of reflex.

The priest finally stood before his podium, his hands marking the sign on the cross along his body as everyone else followed.

"In the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. May the Lord be with you," the priest spoke, his voice a deep baritone that Roxas had found himself enjoying.

"And also with you," echoed through out the church, drowning out Roxas' small voice.

As always, the priest officially began the homily by asking God for forgiveness, telling each and every person to call to mind his or her sins. Roxas shut his eyes, but the only image, the only thing he could think of was Axel.

The priest lifted his head, reading a verse from the bible as the people followed him, saying the exact same words. It was a confession; they were all telling themselves and those around them that they had sinned. Roxas glanced at his father; the man's face was stoic and unreadable as he repeated what the priest said. Roxas never found any tenderness in the man's face; he never saw any love or affection directed at anyone, Roxas knew the man was bitter. He pursed his lips and turned back to the still-talking priest.

"Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, God have mercy,"

The priest began praying, everyone going silent to listen to him. Roxas shifted, the wooden pew very uncomfortable. His eyes drifted through the crowd, and landed on a familiar blonde head. His eyes widened, as said person turned. Two similar sets of blue eyes locking and the girl smiled brightly.

Naminé was sitting in Sunday mass beside what Roxas assumed was her mother. The girl waved just as a new hymn began and the priest asked everyone to stand.

Roxas hated the standing up, sitting down, standing up, sitting down process. It seemed completely pointless to him. Yet everyone in the church had no problem with it, even the frail 90-year-old women who could barley walk stood. He kept his complaints to himself though, as they were told to stand.

The song was depressing; it made his soul feel heavy instead of lifting it. He had never paid attention to the words he sang, until this day. The entire song was about pleading for mercy, and groveling at the feet of the Lord. That idea suddenly did not sit well with the blonde.

Again, they had to stand as the gospel was read, Roxas groaned quietly as he stood. There was never enough space to stand properly and the pew dug into the back of his knees. He shifted more and his father looked at him from the corner of his eye. Roxas immediately froze and fixed his gaze onto the priest.

When the priest finally dismissed them, and mass was over Roxas felt relieved. They slowly made their way out of the pews and out into the cool night air. Naminé raced up to him, and smiled brightly.

"Hey Roxas, how are you?" She asked, not having noticed the boy's father standing right at his side watching them.

"Hello Naminé, I'm fine thanks, you?" Roxas spoke softly, he could feel his father's eyes on him and it made him feel slightly sick.

"Oh Roxas, is this your father?" Naminé asked, and turned to face the taller version of Roxas. She smiled; it was a smile any adult would wish their children to have. Roxas' father let a small, tight smile slip onto his face as he shook the girl's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Baine" Naminé said happily, shaking the man's hand. Roxas was tense until he noticed his father smiling a bit more at the girl.

"Like wise, a friend of Roxas' I presume?" he asked, and the girl nodded before her mother came and stood behind her.

"I'm Naminé Cross and this is my mother," she introduced the woman, who smiled softly before placing her hand on Naminé's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to wait in the car," she said and dismissed herself after shaking Roxas' father, and his hand. The small boy liked Naminé's mother, he could see the same friendliness in her that he saw in her daughter.

"Roxas, I was wondering if you'd be able to come to a sleep over my mother and father are letting me have. We can do some studying," she smiled before looking up at Roxas' father

"If it is alright with you, Roxas is a genius in biology and I'm in dire need of help!" she was so angelic looking that Roxas' father had trouble thinking badly of her. He looked down at Roxas and the boy looked back, trying to hide the begging from his face.

"When is it?" his father asked, and Naminé smiled brightly.

"This up and coming Friday, it's the last day of school before the holidays and I need to study because of the Exams in January. I can give you my house number, that way you can clear it up with my mother and father," Naminé said, already extracting a piece of paper from her beige bag and scribbling her number on it, quickly handing it to Roxas' father.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have to go!" and just as she had appeared, she disappeared into the crowd of people leaving the church. Roxas' father led them to their car, and pocketed the girl's number.

"Roxas, I am letting you go only because that young lady appears to have good moral values. I will know if anything happens boy, believe me," his father said sternly, tugging open his car door. He barely waited for Roxas to get in before starting to exit the lot and head for home.

"I know sir, I promise to be on my best behavior," Roxas said, hiding the excitement from his voice quite well. He turned and looked out the window, a question bubbling in his mind.

Why was Naminé at mass anyways?

He found the blonde girl on Monday morning; she was talking excitedly to Marluxia as Roxas walked up to them. He was still afraid of the pink haired boy, but Marluxia did not send him any nasty glares as he approached.

"Well Nams, I've gotta get to my class. See you after school," the boy said, pecking Naminé on the lips before waving at Roxas and leaving. The blonde stood there watching him, a confused look on his face.

"He's not really all that mean, don't be scared of him," she said and turned, linking her arm with Roxas as they headed out back to meet Axel who was bound to show up any minute.

"Naminé…"Roxas started and the girl hummed to show she was listening.

"How come you were at church yesterday?" he asked and she started to laugh.

"Oh it was brutal believe me, but I had to go to get in good with your dad. Did it work?" Naminé asked, smiling mischievously and Roxas was perplexed.

"Yes…he thinks you are a good catholic…is that what you wanted, so that he'd let me go to your house?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Duh! I never go to church, but I know you and your father do, so I went and thank goodness, you were there! There is a sleep over, but not a study session!" Naminé cackled evilly, raising her hands up and spreading her fingers in a claw like fashion. Roxas watched with a smile on his face, Naminé always seemed to hyper after speaking to Marluxia.

"Why am I afraid to ask what's going on?" The voice startled both blonde haired teens, and they turned in sync to see Axel coming up behind them.

"Roxas can come!" Naminé shouted and the redhead smiled so big, Roxas thought his face was going to split in half. The boy's heart fluttered when he realized the smile was directed at him.

"Awesome! You convinced his dad?" Axel asked turning towards Naminé, she nodded going off into an elaborate explanation of her devious plot, and Roxas listened smiling softly. He was glad they were both his friends.

"Ah, the classic study session line! I'm proud Nam; you're a better actress then people give you credit for!" Axel laughed, smacking Naminé on the shoulder and the small girl shot forward, turning as she rubbed the attacked spot with a pout on her face.

"Axel, don't hit me like I'm some big burly man! I'm a girl, you big oaf," she was glaring but Axel just laughed, slapping Roxas on the back in the process. The boy shot forward just like Naminé had, and like Naminé, he rubbed the abused spot.

"Aw, come on Rox!" Axel said between laugh, both blondes shared a look before Naminé kicked Axel in the shin. Roxas laughed causing Naminé and Axel to freeze.

"Oh my fucking gosh, Roxas Baine can laugh!" Axel exclaimed loud enough for half the campus to hear, some students even turned to see.

"Of course I can laugh," Roxas said, blushing furiously as Axel stared at his face intently. Naminé smiled brightly.

"I'm glad we can make you laugh, it is what friends are for anyways!" she said as they continued to walk around campus. They neared the front of the school slowly, Naminé telling Axel that he cannot light a cigarette on school grounds and Roxas just content listening to them.

The warning bell rang, and they all dashed for the entrance of the school. Axel promising to see them at lunch as the two blondes headed towards their first class.

They walked into the room and the teacher had her head on the desk, the board told the class it was a free period. The students hooted and hollered before running over to their friends and sitting by them.

"So, Roxas…" Naminé began and smiled brightly when the boy looked at her curiously.

"Have you thought about what I said?" she asked, and Roxas tilted his head slightly

"About…figuring out your feelings!" the blonde girl said, a few stray blonde hairs falling in front of her eyes as she watched Roxas' face.

"W-w-what feelings?" Roxas said softly, he knew what she was talking about, but he wasn't sure what feelings she might be referring to.

"Do you like Axel or not?" Naminé asked, brushing her hair away from her shoulders and Roxas raised an eyebrow slowly.

"Of course I do Naminé, he's a friend," Roxas said but when Naminé scowled, he had a feeling that was not the answer she wanted.

"I don't mean like that Roxas," she said and the boy just stared at her, confused.

"I meant as in like…a crush?" Naminé said and Roxas still seemed confused.

"Roxas, for the love of all that is great! You cannot tell me you don't know this?" she sounded slightly exasperated.

"Listen, Axel likes you a whole bunch…he told me but don't tell him I told you or else he will kill me! Anyways, he likes you and I kind of figured you might like him a little too because you're always so shy and blushy around him, and it's really cute don't get me wrong but, do you like him or not?"

"I don't understand," Roxas said after a moment's pause, and Naminé appeared to be stuck between smacking her face into the desk or smacking Roxas'.

"Well…you are gay right? I don't want to be jumping to conclusions just cause you seem it…sorry if that's offensive," Naminé said quickly, a soft smile on her face as Roxas' eyes widened.

"I…N-n-no…Naminé…uhm," Roxas could feel his face flushing over, and the soft voice in his head was telling him that there was a possibility but the voice of his father was screaming at him, telling him he would burn in the very pits of hell.

"I'm not…" Roxas said and stared down at his desk, again he had said what his father would expect him to. What he wanted to say was that he wasn't sure, that he was afraid of having those feelings but all that came out was that. He might not be sure of what he was, but he knew what he could and could not be. His shoulders sagged and he pulled out the small red book, opening it to Leviticus 18:22 and he began to read silently to himself.

"Oh, well sorry about that then. I just thought that you might, because you sort of did act as if you have a crush on him. Forget it, sorry," she said and opened a small sketchpad she had on her desk, continuing what appeared to be a drawing of Axel smoking.

Roxas tore his eyes away from the face of the redhead, and stared down at the tiny script of the bible verse. He did not know what these feelings for the redhead were, he had thought it was just friendship, companionship…did not everyone feel that way?

He thought about how he felt towards Naminé and realized it was nothing like what he felt for Axel.

Sure, he was happy to see both of them and enjoyed talking to Naminé just as much as talking to Axel but his heart pounded when he spoke to Axel and his stomach was in knots. He was constantly flushing in the older boy's presence and whenever said boy was mentioned. He did not know exactly what a crush felt like, and decided right then he needed to know.

"Naminé…" he said, poking the girl softly causing her to look up at him.

"What…what does a crush…feel like?" he asked and the girl giggled before putting down her pencil.

"You've never had one before?" she asked and Roxas shook his head, frowning.

"Don't worry, it's not wrong. But hmm, what does a crush feel like? Well…it feels wonderful, though you kind of feel sick. Your stomach twists and turns whenever the person you like is around, you can't help but smile at them and your cheeks turn red when they talk to you or whenever someone talks about them and you feel so happy and elated! It's a wonderful feeling really, though you get nervous and stuff…The fluttering in your stomach is usually called butterflies though," she said and smiled at Roxas, gently touching his hand with her cool one.

"Don't rush yourself though, you'll find a girl who brings up all those giddy little feelings," and with that she continued with her drawing, adding the tattoos under the redhead's piercing eyes. Roxas stared at the drawing, and his stomach fluttered at the sight of the punk.

Did he have a crush on the redhead? Roxas did not want to know the answer, he was afraid that it would be a yes. If that was the case, he was terrified of what could happen.

Would he burn in hell, along with so many others?

He swallowed thickly and stared straight at the board, he did not know what he was going to do. Suddenly being friends with the red-haired boy became difficult again.

"Naminé…if I did have a crush on Axel…would that make me a bad person?" he whispered and the girl shot up, looking at him.

"No, why on earth would it?"

"Because it's a sin," he said softly, staring at the white top of his desk and trying to stop his hands from shaking.

"Roxas, if there is anything I know about sins; it's that it is never a sin to love someone no matter whom or what they are," Roxas looked up and stared into Naminé's eyes, all he saw in her blue depths was honesty and concern for her friend. He looked back down at his desk.

"All my life…I've been told other wise," he said and Naminé placed her hand over top of his gently.

"Well, it's time to start thinking for yourself Rox, forget what you've been told and do what feels right to you,"

"I'm not sure," he said, biting his bottom lip and Naminé squeezed his hand.

"Roxas, I know you're probably afraid and that's normal…but well, you'll never know anything if all you do is follow what your father tells you. He's making you live out a life like him, and is that what you want?"

He saw his father's life flashed before his eyes or at least what he had been around to witness. It had always been filled with bitterness, anger, and this horrid emptiness that Roxas saw every time he stared into the man's eyes. It made him question how truly fulfilling a life obeying God's every command was.

"No, it…it's not" he finally decided and Naminé smiled softly.

"Then, it's time you start making your own life."

Roxas closed the bible softly and smiled at Naminé.

Yes, it was time.

* * *

**A/N:**Oh boy, Mass is soooooooo boring.  
Sorry if that offended anyone, but it's true.

AHAHAH MarluxiaxNamine has to be one of my favorite pairings.  
I have no idea why, I just LOVE them together.  
Gosh.

SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ROXAS CLOSING THE BIBLE, SEE IT!

Anyways, thanks for reading and review if you'd like (:


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine  
**_Snow_

Roxas hated snow; he hated everything about it. From the way it felt, all cold and wet to the way it looked, much too white under the afternoon sun. While school was in session, December decided it was time to unleash its winter fury upon the city.

Axel was elated, running through the snow with Demyx, Marluxia and Larxene. Naminé laughed along with Zexion as they watched their friends, both teens less rambunctious than the others. Axel shoved Demyx and they toppled to the floor, each trying to shove each other face first into the white fluff. Larxene and Marluxia took to whipping snow at each other, curses and threats flew across the campus though they held no real malice.

Roxas had wanted to stay, the others had asked him to but he knew he had to go home. His father would accept him being late a few minutes because of the snow, but if he were to be late an hour or two? Roxas paled simply imagining what would happen.

Therefore, he left his new friends, and trudged through the thick snow alone towards his house. When he reached it, he noticed the door was open, snowy shoeprints leading into the house.

Fear filled his chest as he neared the entrance of the house; his father's car was in the driveway but why was the door ajar? Roxas stepped into the threshold of the house and timidly glanced around. He heard an angered shout from the kitchen.

"You devil woman! I shall not let you taint his innocence with your demonic ways, stay away from my house!" the echo of the phone being slammed bounced through out the house and Roxas stood at the door uneasily. His father stomped out of the kitchen and stopped when he spotted Roxas.

"Get to your room, now!" he shouted and Roxas scurried past the angered man, shutting his bedroom door and quickly moving away from it.

What could have happened to cause his father to become so enraged? Roxas wondered as he set his damp bag on the floor, and quietly slipped off his wet shoes. He would have to search for his winter boots later on; something told him there was going to be a lot of snow tomorrow morning.

Deciding he would find them after, he pulled out his homework. He did not have a lot, but wanted to finish early anyways. Maybe he could read something after he was finished; he always enjoyed reading. With that thought in mind, he finished his homework quickly, smiling to himself at finally having an evening to do nothing. He always worked so hard.

"Roxas!" his father bellowed just as the blonde had lifted his book. With fear coursing through his veins, he got up slowly and made his way to the door. He did not know what to expect, he just knew it was not going to be good.

"Y-yes sir?" he asked quietly in the entrance to the living room where his father was currently seated.

"Come here," his father hissed and Roxas made his way slowly across the living room and sat on the edge of the couch.

"I am going to be leaving on a very important business trip early tomorrow morning, so help me God if I find out you are doing anything unacceptable while I am away from the house," his father's eyes locked onto his and the boy caught a look of hatred briefly flashing in the sky blue depths.

"Yes sir," Roxas answered and went to get up, his father grabbed his wrist before he could fully get away from the couch.

"Roxas, I am serious," his father tugged him down, causing his wrist to crack lightly at the harsh pull. The blonde was now only a few inches away from his father, the man stared at him icily.

"Do not give me more reasons to be displeased with you," the words stung Roxas, as he fought the tears and he nodded. His father released him and sent him to his room; the boy did not need to be told twice.

Once in the safety of his room, he curled up on his light blue bedspread trying to will the tears away but they would not listen. Slowly they began to stream out as he thought about the things his father had said.

What had he ever done to displease the man? All Roxas ever did was for him, all he ever thought about was that his father wanted! Suddenly Roxas was angry, and he ground his teeth together. It was not fair, his father was never happy with anything the boy did. He shot up and angrily whipped his eyes, Roxas was not one to get angry but he felt it as strongly as ever as he glared at the door.

"Roxas, its –" his father stopped and looked at the boy's reddened face, the glassy look in his eyes and the last few tears. His eyes hardened as he pushed the door open fully and marched into the boy's room.

"Are you crying?" he asked angrily, and Roxas felt a surge of bravery.

"Yes," he said and met his father's furious stare head on.

"Why are you crying?" his father questioned, lifting Roxas off the bed by his thin arm and shaking him roughly. A question that should have been asked tenderly, lovingly, was asked filled with disgust and anger.

"B-because…I can," Roxas forced out, and his father slapped him, causing the boy to stumble backwards, falling onto the bed then rolling onto the floor. He cupped his cheek gingerly and got up on shaky legs. He was starting slowly to regret answering his father.

"Do you want to say that again?" his father asked, voice calm but eyes murderous. His hand shot out and wrapped around Roxas' bicep again, tugging the boy roughly towards himself.

"Do you, Roxas? Answer me!" his father screamed, and Roxas could not speak. All his words lodged in his throat as his father shook him by his arm.

"You cannot cry, you are a man…are you not? Have you suddenly become female Roxas, or even worse…have you taken after your brother?" his father said, and Roxas stared down at the carpet underneath his feet. He felt a few tears slip down his cheeks and his father noticed them as well.

He gripped the boy's chin hard and forced him to look up, two matching sets of blue eyes locked. One pair afraid and helpless, the other angry and filled with hatred.

"Men do not cry, Roxas. Are you going to be like Sora? Do you want to burn in hell Roxas, with all the other abominations and filth of the world? Is that what you want boy, to be filth and loose your soul?" his father sneered, his lips pulled back, baring teeth and looking like a rabid dog.

Roxas said nothing, which must have infuriated his father even more because the man took to slapping him, trying to get a response out of him. Roxas only whimpered quietly, painful yelps swallowed and held inside as his father pushed him down. The leather of his father's shoe made contact with the boy's stomach before he squatted down near Roxas. The small blonde curled up on his side, eyes glazed over and misty but he held the tears in place.

Calloused fingers tangled themselves in blonde spikes as his father tugged Roxas face up towards his own. The boy simply grimaced, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood.

"The Lord has no mercy for those like your brother Roxas, you must repent if you want salvation, and you _will_ repent. You will not rot in hell like your whore mother, and disgusting brother, Roxas. And if this is how I must treat you to save your soul, then so be it," his father spit, eyes narrowed and Roxas swallowed all the tears painfully.

"I will not have another sinner in my family," were the man's parting words as he released his hold on Roxas and left his room. The boy gripped his head and bit back a scream of despair.

"It's not a sin to be human," Roxas said quietly to himself, and found that the words reassured him.

Roxas awoke the next morning to an empty house and for that, he was grateful. He had fallen asleep on the floor, when he got up his entire body cried out in agony, his stiff muscles and swollen cheek all mixed in a horrid cocktail of pain. He gripped at his stomach as it cramped up and he slowly made his way towards the kitchen, fixing himself something to eat before heading to school.

As he had predicted, the snow was thick as it layered the ground. Tugging his winter boots out of a box, he slipped them on and headed outside. His scarf hid most of his face as he walked towards the school and without the scarf, his hair would hide the bruises. However, he knew Axel would notice them and ask about them and he knew he would tell him. The muscles in his legs felt tight as he pushed through the snow, and he regretted not getting up off the floor the previous night.

The high school campus did not appear like one at all; instead, it greatly resembled an elementary school. All the students that were supposedly well in their teen years were frolicking in the fresh snow, excited shouts and happy voices fluttered through the cold December air making Roxas completely forget his pain as he spotted a familiar group of students.

Naminé stood beside Larxene with tiny hands shoved in a large white fur hand warmer muff, both girls talking happily about something. Roxas neared them and Naminé smiled. Larxene stared at him before speaking.

"Listen kid, I'm not going to apologize about what I said in the cafeteria but well…if you're one of Nami's friends you can't be all that bad, so whatever no hard feelings and such," she said shrugging, and Roxas nodded his head before smiling gently at her. He figured it was the closest to an apology he would ever get.

He squeaked out in surprise as he was lifted into the air and spun around. He squirmed slightly, laughing as he was held firmly against someone's chest. They finally stopped spinning and Roxas was wobbling as the person turned him. He looked up into laughing, green eyes and a breath-taking smile.

Axel was standing there, his hands still lightly on Roxas' waist but the boy was too entranced with the way Axel looked. His hair lay flattened under a black beanie; his long, slender neck had a bright red scarf wrapped round it. Axel's eyes were sparkling with joyous light and the tip of his nose and cheeks were a bright red. Roxas' stomach filled with that fluttering again.

'_Butterflies…' _Roxas thought and smiled up at the boy who was panting slightly. Then he realized they were just standing there, Axel with his hands on his waist and both teens just staring at each other.

"Yo lover boy!" someone called and Axel snapped his head to the side, just in time to catch a snowball with his face. Roxas laughed loudly, and Axel turned, bits of snow falling off his face.

"Oh, so you think it's funny?" Axel growled, smiling brightly at the shorter boy. Roxas nodded his head, tears of mirth collecting at the corners of his eyes.

Roxas was tackled to the floor, making an _'oomph'_ sound as he landed back in a pile of snow with Axel on top of him.

"I-I-it's cold!" he shouted and wriggled underneath Axel, as the taller, stronger male laughed manically successfully holding Roxas in the pile of snow.

"Feel my wrath!" he bellowed, and looked down at Roxas. Roxas was laughing, as he tried to push Axel off again.

"I d-don't want to feel your anything!" the blonde said, making everyone around them burst out laughing. Axel, momentarily distracted, was finally shoved off and Roxas made a mad dash towards the girls, hiding behind Naminé.

He could feel the snow in his hair melting, and his cheek was stinging but he found he did not mind so much, the bruise on his stomach was beginning to throb painfully but he smiled anyways as Marluxia and Demyx dog piled on Axel.

"They are such morons," Larxene said, but her eyes held a gentle look as she watched the three males wrestle around on the snow.

"Yeah, but they're our morons," Naminé said, blushing and smiling as Marluxia waved at her proudly from atop the pile of tangled limbs. Roxas smiled too, watching the two stare at each other, eyes shinning with happiness and young love.

That was until Axel broke free and shoved a handful of snow into Marluxia's face.

"What are they doing?" A soft, muffled voice asked and Roxas turned to see Zexion standing there, only the red tip of his nose and his eye peaked out from over top of the grey scarf and Roxas smiled brightly at the boy.

"Enjoying the snow," Roxas answered and Zexion rolled his eyes.

"I hate winter," Roxas sighed and Zexion laughed softly behind his scarf.

"Not very good words for a catholic," the boy teased, Roxas could see his cheek lifting, indicating Zexion was smiling behind his scarf.

"Well…even catholic's have to hate something," he replied and Zexion nodded.

"Yes, part of being human," he said smiling at Roxas' choice of words, turning just in time to see Demyx running over to him.

"Stop right where you are!" Zexion said and backed away a bit as a soaked Demyx skid to a halt.

"No hugs will be given until you are fully dry, and have warm hands," the blue haired boy said and Demyx smirked, before blowing him a kiss.

"Fine, fine, be a sour puss Zexy," and he ran back to where Axel had Marluxia pinned.

They continued to roll around in the snow until the warning bell rang, the boys were frozen as they clung to their respective partners, Marluxia with Naminé and Demyx stuck to Zexion. Axel chose to cling to Roxas, burying his hands in the boy's dry jacket pockets.

"Demyx, your hands are _freezing_!"

"_Marluxia_, your nose is so cold!"

"Ah! Noo, you're _warm_!"

"_Pleeasee_, my fingers are gonna fall _off_!"

"Shut the _hell up_ and quit complaining!"

Their shouts echoed through out the hall as they all made their way together towards the lockers, dripping water and leaving a long trail. Roxas laughed softly, feeling Axel shiver as he clung tighter to the boy.

"You shouldn't have been rolling in the snow," Roxas said, looking up at Axel as they wobbled awkwardly forward.

"I-I-I k-know, b-b-but it's w-w-winter a-a-and D-d-em-yx s-s-st-arted it," the boy's lips were blue and Roxas rubbed at the freezing hands in his pockets trying to warm them. Again, his stomach fluttered and he felt himself blushing, Axel was so close to him…yet he found he enjoyed it. He would have to tell Naminé about it afterwards.

"I usually d-d-don't like th-th-th-the c-c-cold, b-b-but it was p-p-packing snow! P-p-perfect for p-p-playing in," Axel continued and Roxas sighed shaking his head, but a smile played on his lips anyways.

"You are very childish," Roxas said, letting go of Axel's hands and opening his locker. Groans ricocheted off the walls as everyone was forced to uncling from their source of heat.

Roxas shoved his coat and scarf into his locker, quickly changing his boots to his leather shoes and collecting his textbooks.

Axel nuzzled his cold nose into Roxas' cheek, pulling away quickly and smiling down at the boy whose blush was slowly creeping down his neck and up to his ears.

"Yeah, but it's what makes me awesome! Catch you at lunch Roxy," Axel said, waving and leaving along with Marluxia, Demyx and Zexion.

Naminé and Larxene turned and stared at Roxas, Naminé's eyes were wide, and her mouth open and Larxene was smirking. Roxas lifted his bag up onto his shoulder and looked at them, a sheepish grin on his face.

"What?" he asked, blushing as Larxene smiled deviously, Naminé just continued to stare.

"Oh…_nothing_," Larxene replied airily, turning and walking away from the other blondes before casting Roxas a look over her shoulder.

"Just…nothing," and she waved, disappearing around the corner.

"Oh it was most definitely nothing, you are going to tell me what that was all about!" Naminé said, and gripped Roxas' hand, tugging him to class. Roxas followed with a burning blush on his cheeks but did not object.

"Okay, tell me because I am so confused and usually, I'm not," Naminé said as they sat at the back, another free period simply because the teacher found it pointless to start teaching when school was soon over for the holidays.

"Uhm…I don't know," Roxas said, his tongue rolling around his mouth and stopping to lick at the wound he had made the night before. It was almost healed he noticed.

"I have a few questions. One, why are you all bruised again? And Two, what was up with you and Axel?" she was watching his face worriedly and Roxas looked onto the top of his desk.

"The bruises…are from my dad…but can we leave it at that?" Roxas asked looking up into shocked blue eyes.

"Oh Roxas…I'm sorry," Naminé said, leaning over and hugging him briefly before nodding.

"We'll leave it at that, if you ever need to talk…I'm always here," she said, pulling away and smiling gently. Roxas smiled back, and fidgeted once she raised her eyebrows, waiting for the second answer.

"W-well…I'm not sure, but I m-might…like Axel," he said, and oddly enough he didn't feel as if he had just commit a crime, he didn't feel like he had just sentenced himself to death. It was the opposite really, he felt slightly excited, nervousness bubbling in his stomach and it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Aw, that's so cute! You are definitely not a bad person Rox, so do not go thinking that! I'm so glad you realized it, you know what this means?" she asked, Roxas shook his head as he watched her smile grow.

"It means you're thinking for yourself!" she said excitedly and Roxas smiled, twisting them hem of his sleeve between his fingers.

"Uh, that-that's good, right?" he asked and Naminé smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Of course it is! So, are you going to tell him?" Naminé asked with a happy glint in her eyes.

"N-n-no, Nam-Naminé, I-I can't!" Roxas stuttered pathetically, his face turning bright red.

"Ah, alright…not yet at least," she said and smiled, pulling her sketchpad out and Roxas saw the same picture as before only now it was shaded, giving it more life.

"N-n-Naminé?" he said softly, she turned and raised her eyebrows slightly in acknowledgement.

"C-can I have that, when it's finished?" he asked blushing, and she laughed lightly.

"I was planning on giving it to you for Christmas anyways!" she said and Roxas smiled, before resting his head on the desk. He was developing a small headache, and his cheek hurt.

"Roxas, you look rather tired. Maybe you should sleep for this period, huh?" Naminé said and Roxas shut his eyes nodding.

"Yes, that's a good idea," he said, nuzzling into a makeshift pillow he formed with his arms.

"I'll wake you up when we have to leave to second," she said absently, already focusing on her drawing.

"Yeah…thank you" Roxas said, almost cut off by a yawn.

He realized that he was rather tired, as he quickly slipped into unconsciousness. As he slept, his mind was filled with images of Axel, the redhead smiling, laughing, or even on the rare occasion when the boy was serious, he could not stop thinking about how handsome he was.

Naminé turned and looked at Roxas' as he shifted; she caught him smiling in his sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Here, have a chapter alittle early 8D  
Cause I have a snow day haha xD  
I really do hate snow, especially wet snow...like ugh it gets everywhere and its all slushy and its a bitch to walk in!

Also, good news? My Science ISU is done, no more of that icky stress xD

Well, thanks for reading, I look forward to hearing what you all thought about this chapter (:


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten  
**_Thank God_

On Friday afternoon, Roxas found himself walking with Naminé to her house. He had stayed home the entire day, seeing as there was nothing to do and his father was still nowhere to be seen. It was a well-deserved break and he had been ready early. He called Naminé and she had come by to pick him up, and now they were on their way to her house.

"I hope you don't mind, but my cousin is staying with me," Naminé said as they neared the large house, it's white, large, French doors stood elegantly on the veranda and Roxas simply shook his head. He lifted his bag filled with clothes and toiletries higher on his shoulder and Naminé pushed the door open.

"I'm home!" she called out and a large fat, white Persian cat came down the steps and began circling her legs.

"Hello Lucifer," Naminé cooed and Roxas froze, staring wide-eyed at the girl and her cat. Naminé froze as well and turned to face Roxas with a blush on her face.

"Oh goodness, Roxas it's not like…satanic I swear! I named him after Cinderella's cat!" Naminé said quickly and Roxas shook his head laughing softly, the shock wearing off slowly. It didn't bother him as much as it would have before, he noted happily.

"It's fine," he said and the cat began circling his legs, he pet it softly before Naminé led him into the basement where they were going to be staying for the weekend.

"Kairi!" Naminé called and Roxas froze again, his throat going dry as the girl appeared from the bathroom. The cup of water in her hand fell to the floor with a loud crash, and she stood frozen staring directly at Roxas.

"Kairi, what the heck is wrong with you? You just shattered a glass!" Naminé shouted and went over to the girl. Kairi ignored her and jumped over the splintered glass running towards Roxas and tackling the boy down into the ground.

"Roxas, is it actually you!" she cried, crushing the boy into her chest with a bruising hug. Roxas shakily lifted his arms and hugged her back.

"Hello Kairi," he mumbled softly and the girl pulled away, strands of red hair falling in her face and making Roxas blink.

"What happened to your hair?" Roxas asked and Kairi slipped away, helping the boy up in the process.

"I dyed it! That'll show my old bat of a mother!" Kairi said smiling at Roxas as he stared at her.

"Ugh, you don't know how Jesus-crazy she's gotten Roxas! I couldn't take it anymore, so I dyed my hair and moved out. She was not going to control my life anymore," Kairi said and crossed her arms over her chest. Roxas smiled brightly, and Kairi looked taken aback.

"I'm glad Kairi," the boy said softly, remembering Kairi and her mother. The woman had always been like his father. He was glad that Kairi had gotten away.

"But…Roxas I cannot believe you're here! I mean…everyone thought you were like gone forever!" Kairi said, eyes going wide. Roxas was about to answer when Naminé cut in.

"Excuse me, can someone tell me what's going on?" she asked softly, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Kairi giggled, before tugging her blonde cousin towards the sofa.

"Roxas is the brother of my best bud Sora, you remember him right and Riku?" Kairi said and Naminé nodded, eyes going wide.

"You never told me your brother was Sora!" Naminé said, turning towards Roxas. The boy shifted and shrugged his shoulders stiffly.

"Sorry," he mumbled and Naminé waved it off.

"Don't worry about it, but wow…small world," she breathed and smiled at her cousin who was still looking at Roxas.

"He's really worried about you…you know," Kairi said softly and Roxas fixed his eyes on the carpet underneath his feet.

"Why didn't your father tell your mother he was taking you away Rox?" Kairi asked and Naminé sat still, listening to whatever was being said in silence. Kairi had told her when Sora and his mother had been kicked out into the streets, and she knew about Sora's little brother, she had just never known that it was Roxas.

"He…wanted to save my soul," he said quietly and Kairi raised a perfect eyebrow, before shaking her head.

"I hate him Roxas, I really do. You have to tell Sora…your mom that you are all right! They've been searching for you like crazy," she continued and Roxas nodded his head.

"I will…but can we not talk about this anymore?" he asked, eyes finally drifting from the carpet and looking at Kairi.

"Oh…okay. When's the party starting?" she said quickly and Roxas smiled at her awful topic change. Just as Naminé went to reply, they heard the front door open and loud voices from upstairs.

"That must be Larx and the boys," Naminé said softly and got up from the couch.

"I'm going to tell them to come down, and then get the vacuum for that mess," she said shooting a glare at a blushing Kairi before disappearing up the stairs.

"Roxas…Sora and your mom are coming to the city you know," Kairi said and Roxas' eye widened.

"What…what do you mean?" he asked dumbfounded and Kairi motioned for him to have a seat beside her.

"Sora called me, telling me that your mom had called your house and found the address. She's coming to get you!" Kairi's eyes shone with happiness and Roxas was torn between being happy or upset.

"She's…going to take me away?" but before Kairi could answer the basement was filled with laughter and a squealing Demyx. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Kairi for the rest of the night.

"It's not funny!" the boy said angrily and stomped over to a beanie chair that was not too far from Roxas. He dropped down with a thud and a pout on his face. Roxas then noticed his hair was flattened and looking odd. He had to suppress a giggle.

"Oh, not you too!" Demyx shouted throwing his arms up and tugging his grey hood on tightly over his head.

"That ruined hair-do is courtesy of me!" Marluxia said, bouncing over the back rest of the couch and landing in between Kairi and Roxas.

"That thing on his head is a crime," the boy continued, flicking his soft hair way from his face and smirking at a fuming Demyx. Zexion took a seat quietly next to his brooding boyfriend.

"Marluxia, be nice. Just because Dem got into a fight with a weed whacker doesn't mean you can pick on him," Larxene added, perching herself delicately on the armrest beside Roxas. Her lips were pressed together tightly and the boy noticed she was trying her best not to burst out laughing.

He also noticed a lack of red. Eyes scanning the room quickly, he realized the Axel was no where to be seen. He looked up at Larxene, afraid of asking her, when she looked down and smirked.

"Lover boy isn't here yet. He's at a doctor's appointment today," the girl said and slipped off the armrest.

"Where's Nami?" she asked and just then Naminé came downstairs struggling with a heavy vacuum cleaner. Marluxia bounced up and ran over to help his girlfriend carry the large machine down the last few stairs.

"Thank you Marly, that thing is way too heavy," Naminé said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as her boyfriend carried it over to the broken glass he had spotted earlier.

"Axel not here yet?" she asked looking around, and noticing Roxas' dejected pout. She smiled softly and walked by, ruffling his hair in the process.

While Marluxia and Naminé cleaned up the mess, Kairi began talking to Larxene, Roxas only faintly catching pieces of their conversation and it was not interesting at all.

He watched the staircase leading to the main level of the house sadly, wondering why Axel had another doctor's appointment. He hadn't even been told what the first one was for!

There was a loud curse issued from upstairs followed by a hiss. A few minutes later Axel came running down the stairs flailing his arms and screaming, the sound of chains and buckles rattling almost louder then his voice.

"Lucifer is going to kill me Naminé!" he screamed running towards the girl who was now seated in a Love Seat with Marluxia. Axel dived into their laps burying his head in Naminé's lap as the girl giggled.

"What did you do to him now, Axel?" Naminé questioned softly, petting the back of the redhead's hair. He tilted his head a bit and stared at her as Marluxia pinched the back of his thighs.

"Ow, shit for brains what was that for!" he hissed and the other male just cackled evilly.

"It was for almost kneeing me in the sack, you idiot!" this lead to a insult war and Roxas watched with a smile. His gaze must have attracted the redhead because before he knew it, green was locking with blue and Axel was slipping off the couples lap and walking over to him.

"Hey Rox," he said softly, slipping in beside the boy and resting his arm on the back rest of the sofa near the blonde's head. Roxas turned to face him and smiled at the boy brightly.

"Hey, where were you?" he asked and Axel looked away, before returning to look at Roxas with a small, tight smile.

"Doctor's," he said and Roxas raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you going to tell me why?" he asked and the punk shook his head, smiling widely.

"Nope, don't feel like to," he said and Roxas tilted his head.

"I'll tell you one day, if you're good," Axel whispered and Roxas felt himself blushing furiously and looking down at the carpeted floor again. This must have been incredibly funny because Axel began laughing loudly, all the other teenagers looking at him curiously.

"Naminé, sweetheart is everyone here?" a voice called from the top of the stairs and soon Naminé's mother was in the basement. Her long blonde hair tied in a tight ponytail, and she was wearing a warm, cream sweater.

"Hey everyone," she greeted with a soft smile, everyone in the basement smiled back with a chorus of _'Hello Mrs. Cross'_.

"Okay, if everyone is here I'm going to order the pizza. Axel Flint, you better eat some," she said sending a stern look towards the blushing red head. He blinked furiously, feigning innocence and putting a hand to his chest.

"Who, me?" he asked batting his eyelashes, the blonde woman laughed before shaking her head.

"All of you behave now, Nami, your dad should be home soon too. Come upstairs and greet him when he does," and with that she went back upstairs and everyone resumed their previous conversations.

Axel tugged off his sweater, and it was the first time Roxas had seen the other male in anything but a t-shirt. The material hung loose around the boy's body, and even Roxas could see that the redhead was incredibly thin. Roxas scrunched his nose and poked the taller boy in the side.

"Mrs. Cross is right. You should have a whole pizza to yourself," Roxas said quietly and Axel laughed, the blonde noticed it was choppy and nervous.

"Oh heh, yeah…" Axel said and lifted his legs up to cover his stomach. Roxas watched him curiously and Axel tilted his head, resting his cheek on his knees at he watched Roxas right back. The blonde began to blush, but did not look away instead he smiled.

"What?" Roxas whispered, afraid that if he spoke louder it would ruin the calm, serene air that had settled over him and the redhead.

"Chicken butt," Axel replied with a silly smile, and Roxas found himself rolling his eyes for the first time in his life. Axel noticed this and smiled wider.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening was spent like that. Everyone simply chatting with each other and relaxing, letting all the school stress wash away, Roxas had even let his conversation with Kairi slip from his mind. When the pizza arrived, the teens were starving. Demyx chewing happily on his fifth slice while Zexion smiled, enjoying his second, Naminé had also had two slices while Marluxia and Larxene had taken to seeing who could eat the most. Larxene winning with ten slices. Roxas chewed his and noticed Axel sitting there, staring at his pensively.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Roxas asked softly and Axel looked up startled.

"Oh uhm, nah, ain't really too hungry," answered the red head, pushing his slice towards Demyx who took it greedily.

Roxas watched Axel sit there quietly, finished off his slice and turned towards the boy.

"You've been acting odd lately," Roxas said softly so that no one else heard, the others had finished eating and were now deciding what movie they were going to watch. The lights had also been shut off, Roxas noted dully.

"Have I?" Axel said, turning and facing Roxas. The blonde nodded his head and stared up at Axel, it was then that he noticed how close they were. The boy blinked, feeling his cheeks heat up at their closeness but Axel only shifted so that they were even closer. Roxas looked up into warm, green eyes and Axel brought his hand to the boy's cheek, cupping it softly. It was the first time Roxas had seen the boy without his leather gloves; the older teen's hands were very warm and smooth. Roxas flushed deeply but didn't pull away.

"Roxas…I have to tell you something…" Axel whispered softly, Roxas could almost feel the boy's whispered words on his lips. His stomach was tied in such a tight knot it was almost painful, his heart was hammering in his chest so fiercely he thought it was going to break right through his ribcage and land on the other boy's lap.

"Yes?" Roxas whispered, his eyes slowly slipping closed as the punk's thumb caressed his cheek, he could not understand why he wasn't pulling away. He could hear the voice of his father shouting, angrily in the back of his mind but that soft voice had grown in intensity and was demanding that Roxas stay close to the redhead. It sounded angrier then his father's voice.

All thought stopped when the redhead closed the space between them, pressing his slightly chapped lips to Roxas' plush, soft ones. Roxas was shocked into stillness, but Axel's soft thumb moving against his cheek was relaxing him and soon his eyes slipped completely closed and he tried as best as he could to return the kiss. Axel pulled away and looked down at Roxas, the boy was blushing furiously and taking Axel's silence as a bad sign he looked away and began apologizing.

"I'm sorry…that was terrible wasn't it? I-I-I'm not…I mean…I've uhm…I've never-" Axel cut him off, turning his face towards his own and the smile was bright and genuine.

"Roxas, stop apologizing. You were fine, just…move next time. Here…can I?" Axel asked, gripping Roxas' arms gently and the boy nodded. He cast one look at the other teens but they were too engrossed in the movie to pay then any attention. He felt the redhead lift his arms and place them around his slender neck, Roxas swallowed thickly and sat still, but held his arms in place when Axel let them go. He linked his hands behind the punk's neck instinctively and Axel smiled.

"That's good…" the boy whispered and Roxas looked up, he was excited to feel the redhead's lips against his again. It had felt to strange, so new…so right to him. He wanted to try again, and he wanted to do it right this time.

"O-okay…I think, I want to try again," Roxas blushed as Axel chuckled quietly and cupped his cheek again, tilting his face towards his and smiling.

"Good…because I do too," Axel said quietly, pressing his lips to Roxas' again and the blonde felt a jolt go through his body when the punk moved his lips softly against his.

Roxas waited, paying careful attention to the way the other boy kissed him, and soon he was tilting his head a little more and applying more pressure. He moved his lips softly, tentatively against the other male's. The tingles wouldn't leave his body, and the butterflies Naminé had told him about had gone insane, they were smacking around the walls of his stomach crazily and Roxas did feel sick but it was probably the only sick feeling he'd ever enjoyed this much.

They pulled away when the need for air was too much, Roxas stared up at Axel shyly and the redhead was smiling brightly down at him.

"Roxas, you're so adorable," Axel whispered nuzzling his cold nose against Roxas' small, button nose. The blonde giggled, and without even realizing it, began twirling stray strands of crimson hair between his fingers that were still behind the punk's head.

The voice of his shouting father was drowned out by the happiness, and the sense of completion he felt. The hollow feeling in his chest was gone, and he did pray. However, he was thanking the Lord for giving him Axel.

He realized then that all his silent, tear-filled prayers had been answered. Not directly, but the Lord had put people in his life to help him answer his own questions. His heart felt flooded with emotions and he smiled happily at Axel. He could be happy, and he knew he was not condemned. How could he be, when the Lord had sent Axel to him?

He pulled the redhead towards him, and buried his face in the crook of the boy's neck. He had never felt this happy before, maybe he had long ago, but those memories were faded and withering in the back of his mind. They had been so unreachable that he had slowly forgotten what it felt like to be truly happy. Axel hugged him tightly and smiled against the boy's hair.

"Wanna actually watch the movie now?" he asked and Roxas nodded, though he made no attempt to move.

"Hah, alright…or we could always keep making out?" Axel suggested and Roxas pulled away blushing.

"Axel!" Roxas hissed, the blush on his cheeks was burning all the way up to his ears.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Axel murmured, pulling Roxas against his chest and sighing contently.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you," Axel said and Roxas hummed curiously.

"I like you," Axel whispered in his hair, making the boy giggle and blush all over.

"Axel…" he said softly into the teen's shirt, Axel squeezed him gently, silently telling him to continue.

"I-I l-like you, t-too" Roxas stuttered and hid his face against the boy's chest.

"Oh…well…thank God" Axel chuckled and Roxas smiled against his shirt.

'_Yeah, thank God'_ he thought before turning and watching the rest of the movie.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh! It's a day later then usual D:  
Lol, sorry if I upset anyone with it's tardiness but well, I was in the hospital last night yada-yada.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this little addition to The Catholic and The Rebel!  
Thanks for reading and review if you see fit  
You all know I love hearing from you!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**  
_Turn of Events_

The second movie chosen for the night, Roxas had figured out quite quickly, was terrifying. He buried his face into the redhead's chest for the thousandth time in 30 minutes. Axel chuckled again as Roxas tried to press his forehead into the punk's sternum.

"Hey, want to come outside with me?" Axel asked and Roxas looked up, eyes wide with fear and he nodded his head furiously.

Both teens slid off the couch and quietly collected their jackets, sneaking up the stairs quietly. All the others were so entranced with the film they did not even hear Axel curse as he stubbed his toe on the third step.

The air outside was cold and bit at the two male's skin, yet it was not unbearable. Axel sighed, arching his back and popping it in a few places. Roxas watched the older male stretch; he smiled softly at how the redhead reminded him slightly of a cat.

The punk patted down his pockets, and seemed to finally find what he was looking for. He pulled out his cigarette pack and placed one between his lips, before beginning his search all over again only this time he was looking for his lighter. Finally lighting it, he inhaled deeply, a look of pure bliss on his face. Roxas watched amazed as the blue grey smoke danced out of the boy's pink lips slowly, crawling out of his mouth like a monster. He was entranced, simply staring and didn't even notice the redhead speaking until the punk shot him a curious glance.

"Huh, sorry…" he mumbled, eyes still fixed on the other male's mouth. His lips still tingled with the boy's kisses, and he never imagined how good something like that could feel. There had even been a point in his life where he considered becoming a _priest_…what a mistake that would have been.

"Roxas, are you alright?" Axel asked and the boy looked at him, a soft smile on his face.

"Yes, I was just thinking," he replied and Axel hummed, inhaling more smoke before stepping closer and wrapping his arms around the boy.

"About?" he asked around the cigarette, blowing smoke through his nose and away from Roxas as the boy cuddled into the heat radiating off him.

"Becoming a priest," he mumbled, Axel tensed and pulled away staring at him with wide eyes. Roxas tilted his head, and realization quickly dawned at the look of terror on the other boy's face.

"Oh, oh goodness no! Not anymore, but before…before I met you, I considered it," Roxas said, gripping on to the fabric of the taller boy's jacket and pulling the punk towards him.

"Not anymore," he whispered and Axel wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, pulling him even closer. Roxas noticed the redhead no longer had his cigarette and his lips were free.

"A-axel?" he asked shyly and the boy smiled, before asking what Roxas needed.

"C-could you…k-kiss me again?" the blonde said, blushing furiously as the redhead chuckled.

"I thought you'd never ask," said the punk before sliding one hand along the smaller boy's side, all the way up to his cheek.

He cupped it softly and Roxas tightened his grip on the older boy's jacket, anticipation buzzing through his body. The redhead had to lean down quite some bit, but Roxas helped by pushing himself onto the tips of his toes. He uncurled his fingers from the boy's jacket and slid them into his hair; he had always wanted to touch the fiery locks on top of the other male's head. This caused Axel to purr contently into their kiss, the slight vibration tickling Roxas and the boy gasped softly. Axel's tongue soon found its way into his mouth, slowly; he licked Roxas' bottom lip experimentally. The blonde opened his eyes, blinking owlishly for a few seconds before bringing his tongue up to meet Axel's.

The punk's tongue tasted like smoke, and Roxas decided that he actually liked the taste, if even a little. Axel's hand started to wander and Roxas gasped, pulling away when the boy's hands went down his bottom softly. Axel looked confused for a moment, by Roxas' bewildered expression but he wasn't stupid.

"Oh, oh, shit I'm sorry Rox," the older male whispered and hugged Roxas tightly.

"I keep forgetting you're new to this," he said into the boy's hair and Roxas relaxed again. It wasn't that he did not enjoy the touch, it was just something completely new and he didn't exactly know how to react.

"I-it's okay," Roxas replied and suddenly he wondered just how long Axel had been doing this. He felt something in his chest tighten uncomfortably and shifted against Axel. Was it jealousy?

The redhead was suddenly leaning on Roxas heavily, and the boy struggled to keep him up. He shifted his weight and brought his arms out to wrap around the boy's slender waist. It surprised Roxas just how light the punk was, and this was with all his belts and chains attached. Without them, the boy would probably loose a good 10 pounds.

"Axel…A-axel are you alright?" Roxas groaned as his arms began to tremble under the weight. Soon the redhead's legs gave out and he fell at Roxas' feet. The boy gave a startled shout and looked down at the fainted boy in panic.

His first thought was to run into the house and tell someone, anyone! He raced down the stairs, stumbling in his haste and almost rolled down the entire flight. The other teens lifted their heads and turned to see who was causing all the noise. Roxas barley reached the bottom before Naminé was there, looking at him worriedly.

"Roxas, what's wrong?" she asked and Roxas struggled to catch his breath, someone paused the movie and turned the lights on.

"It's Axel, h-h-he's on the porch" he panted and that seemed to trigger a chain reaction. Marluxia and Demyx raced up the stairs, and past Roxas. Larxene dived towards the cordless phone and dialed 9-1-1. They all bounded up the steps after the call was made and found Marluxia checking the boy's faint pulse.

"What happened Roxas?" Marluxia asked, looking up from the red head as Demyx covered the boy with his jacket. Zexion went over and wrapped his arms around his shivering boyfriend.

"I'm not sure, one minute he was fine and the next he just slumped against me," Roxas said, voice shaking with tears and Marluxia's eyes grew hard as he stared down at Axel. Demyx was the first to say anything, and it came out as an angered roar.

"Fucking Flint! I knew he was going to do this shit again, I fucking knew it!" he said, fist colliding forcefully with the column on Naminé's veranda.

Larxene also seemed very upset, tears almost visible in her eyes.

"He's such a fucking idiot!" she hissed as the ambulance sirens drew closer. Naminé's parent's rushed down the stairs and her mother looked pale as she spotted Axel on the floor. Naminé's father looked confused at first, but slowly he seemed to grasp the situation.

"I'll go start up the car, I'll take a few of you behind the ambulance. Come now," he said. Larxene, Marluxia, Demyx and Zexion followed the man as he led them towards the garage. Roxas refused to be parted from the redhead, and Naminé decided she would go with the punk as well.

"I'll stay behind and phone his parents," her mother said softly and went back into the house as the paramedics rushed over to the fallen boy.

Naminé could not suppress the sobs as the paramedics began checking the redhead. They flashed a light into his eyes, and checked his pulse, moving to check his blood pressure. After they finished, placing the oxygen mask on him and such, they lifted him up onto the stretcher with ease and began wheeling him in the direction of the ambulance.

Naminé and Roxas followed quietly and climbed in the back when the man stepped aside and let them in. Roxas turned to Naminé as the man shut the doors, the ambulance shot down the quiet street with Naminé's father close behind.

"Naminé, what's going on?" Roxas asked worriedly, his own eyes brimmed with tears and turning red.

"I need to ask you two a few questions," the paramedic interrupted and Naminé turned nodding her head. Roxas bit his bottom lip and stared down at the pale face of the punk. He began to take in the sunken cheeks and deep purple circles under the boy's eyes.

"Name of the patient?" he asked and Naminé told him, he asked his birthday and age, and Naminé answered as Roxas simply watched the redhead. He acted to healthy, so energetic, but what was really going on behind all that? The blonde felt warm tears sliding down his cheeks and Naminé rested her head against his shoulder as the paramedic went back to checking Axel's vital signs again and fixing the boy's oxygen mask.

"Naminé, what's wrong with Axel?" Roxas asked and the girl sobbed against his shoulder before pulling away. By the time she could breathe well enough to say anything they had arrived at the hospital and were pulling the boy out and into the emergency room.

Axel was quickly wheeled into a room, a small nurse pushing a trolley filled with needles, bags, tubes and wires came in and hooked the boy up to an I.V before leaving. Soon the entire room was filled with silence, and the occasional sniffle. Demyx was still glaring daggers at everything, and Marluxia seemed just about ready to explode.

"Can someone explain to me, why everyone is so angry?" Roxas asked timidly and Naminé placed her hand on his shoulder softly, leading him out of the room and into the quiet hallway just as the doctor walked in followed closely by Naminé's mother and Axel's parents. Roxas caught a slight glance before the door was shut.

"Everyone is more then a little ticked off at Axel," Naminé started softly and Roxas nodded his head.

"Yes, I can see that but why! It's not his fault he fainted and ruined the sleep over," Roxas said exasperated. He did not want the punk's friends to be angry with him.

"No Roxas, it's just that…you know how he's been going to the doctor?" Roxas nodded and Naminé sighed "Well, Axel has been fighting against anorexia for years. He almost died twice! Once in middle school, and again in freshman year…he told everyone he was getting better even the doctors believed him, but it's more then obvious that he lied," Naminé's voice finished in a hushed tone and she tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Roxas felt his mouth go completely dry as he looked at her.

"You mean…he could die?" Roxas whispered, afraid to speak any louder in the silence of the hospital.

"Yes, they said that if he doesn't start getting some sort of nutrition…the type of anemia he has can worsen and turn into leukemia or he'll just starve to death before that happens," Naminé's blue eyes were filled with pain, and Roxas felt his heart being torn into a million pieces.

Axel was dying, slowly but surely the red head was killing himself and he hadn't even seen it!

"I thought he was getting better…he told us he was! He even ate lunch a few times," Naminé's voice grew slightly angry and Roxas suppressed the urge to flinch at the sound of it.

"I found him in the bathroom, a few weeks ago…more then once actually," Roxas said and Naminé looked at him, before collapsing to the floor, her body shaking with suppressed sobs.

"Why is he doing this?" Roxas asked, sinking to the ground beside her and Naminé threw her arms around him. Larxene stormed out of the room and sank into one of the chairs positioned in the hall.

"He's been lying to us, this whole fucking time and we ate it all up," she hissed angrily, glaring venomously at nothing in particular.

"I should have seen it! I've known him since he was 5, I should have fucking seen it coming!" she said, voice on the brink of shouting as she stood again. Naminé stood and went over to her furious friend, wrapping her arms around the girl and stilling her twitching movements.

"Larx, calm down…we've just got to talk to him when he wakes up…We'll get him through it this time," Naminé said softly and Larxene looked down at her, a tight frown on her face.

"Naminé, don't you see it? They are going to ship him off to a freaking rehab center and we will not see him in God knows how fucking long! He doesn't care enough about us to just fucking eat! He's in there laying on that fucking cot refusing to answer any fucking questions!" She shouted and pried the girl's arms away from herself before storming off.

"He's awake?" Roxas asked, standing on shaky legs and Naminé turned towards the door. The sounds of angered voices began to drift out into the hall and soon Marluxia, Demyx, Zexion and Naminé's father were out in the hallway.

"I'm going to get the car ready; you boys know where I parked. I'll be downstairs waiting," her father said and walked down the hall at a brisk pace. Marluxia was staring at the floor, and even Zexion seemed upset, his usual calm face ruined by the appearance of worried wrinkles on his forehead.

"They are going to take him away…to a specialized hospital to treat it…" Demyx said softly and Zexion wrapped his arms around the boy. Roxas felt oddly out of place, they had all known Axel for so long and suddenly he was here. He felt like this was too personal for him to be involved in.

Demyx looked at Roxas sadly, a watery smile on his face.

"Hey Rox, I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this…you probably don't really care anyways," he said and Roxas shook his head furiously.

"No, no, no I do care…a lot," he said, his cheeks automatically turning red and Demyx tilted his head, a knowing smile making its way over the watery one.

"Oh…ahh" he said, and the room door opened. The doctor along with Axel's parents stepped out. Roxas noted that Axel's mother was tall, and lean, very much like a super model, the same when it came to his father though neither had the boy's fiery hair. Instead, Axel's mother had brown hair and his father's was black. The man was rubbing his forehead furiously, almost as if he was fighting off a horrible headache and the punk's mother was wiping at her eyes constantly.

"My poor baby…Thank you so much everyone for taking care of him," his mother said, her voice soft and gentle just like the redhead's could be. Naminé smiled and rushed into a hug, the woman thanking her and then everyone else.

"Well, we better get going," Naminé whispered, remembering that her father was still in the parking lot. She gripped Roxas' wrist before tugging him towards Axel's room.

"We'll just go and say bye…I don't know when we'll see him again," her voice quivered as she pushed open the door. Axel was sitting up, his eyes hard and guarded and Roxas remembered seeing his face like that once before. It was when he had followed him into the parking lot to apologize. His stomach sank at the sight.

"If you're here to piss on my Naminé, get the fuck out. Roxas, if you're here to tell me I'm a mental case and a waste of your time…fine, I don't fucking care,"

Roxas and Naminé shared a look of confusion and the blonde girl went to speak.

"Axel…" she started quietly and the boy snapped his head towards her, his eyes burning angrily but the hurt wasn't all hidden.

"Just leave me alone Naminé…I just want to be a-fucking-lone," and then he turned away from them, curling up on his side. Naminé ran out, tears clouding her vision and Roxas stood there for a few minutes.

"Axel…why didn't you tell me?" Roxas whispered and the boy did not answer, simply curled into himself tighter, mumbling a 'get the hell out'. Roxas frowned and left the room. Naminé was waiting for him and they both headed back to the car in silence.

"When he comes back, he'll be better…I'm sure he didn't mean that," she said as they climbed into the dark family van. Roxas watched the hospital as they left it behind.

He really hoped the redhead would get better, he felt the same emptiness settle itself back into his chest when he turned and faced all the sullen teenagers in the car.

"We'll try and visit…" Naminé said, trying to sound optimistic, and this caused a quiet murmur throughout the car. Demyx smiled and tried to add a chipper tone to his voice.

"We'll come by tomorrow, and see him off even! Show him that we still care and that we forgive him for lying…you know, let's be real friends!" he said and they all agreed.

Roxas smiled, the emptiness easing a bit at the thought of seeing the redhead and comforting him tomorrow.

"We'll help him...I think I owe it to him…to get him out of that _horrible_ mind frame," Roxas said quietly and Marluxia smiled at him, for the first time. Roxas stared shocked for a few minutes.

"You know what, I think you're just what he needed kid," and Roxas smiled, because Axel was just what he had needed.

He felt like he had a purpose now, more then ever before.

He was going to fix Axel, just as the boy had done with him. He decided asking God for a little help wouldn't hurt either.

* * *

**A/N:** Here you go (:  
Hope you all enjoyed this!

Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve  
**_Words of Wisdom_

They all awoke extra early Sunday morning, each with their mind set on visiting a probably much calmer Axel in the hospital. He was placed in a rehab center just 20 minutes out of the city and Marluxia had offered to drive them all, they just had to take Naminé's family van.

They all sat in their seats and began the drive as soon as Axel's mother called from the new hospital with the directions. According to his mother, the boy was in a foul mood but none of the friends minded. They had dealt with the hothead half of their lives and Roxas (who was new to Axel's temper) knew he would not be too angered if the redhead was cold towards him. He knew the punk was suffering a great deal and Roxas could be very forgiving, especially since he wanted the punk to get better.

"So, Roxas what's the deal with you and Axel?" Larxene asked, to Roxas' dismay they had been seated together in the back of the van. The boy felt his throat constrict but with a quick swallow, he answered.

"I-I-I'm not sure, we both have f-feeling for each other," Roxas said and Larxene raised a thin, angry eyebrow at the boy. He was not sure if it was an angry facial expression, with Larxene, you could never tell or at least he could not.

"I see," she replied and looked straight, her jaw set tight and Roxas watched the girl for a few minutes until she let out a long breath through her nose and turned back to Roxas.

"Kid, Ax means a lot to me and he's obviously messed up, are you sure you can deal with it? Don't go fucking around with him and giving him some false hope because I'll fucking kill you," She hissed, and her eyes held all the honesty in the world. Roxas swallowed around the lump in his throat terrified but felt like he had to defend his feelings for the redhead, despite his fear of the girl.

"My intentions with Axel a-are pure and I…I don't care if he has his problems, we all do. He's still the same underneath," Roxas spoke and it was all him, his own thoughts and feelings. It felt so good to tell someone what was going through his mind. He felt a smile tugging at his lips, Axel would be proud.

"That better be your answer, I was going to smash your little Blondie head into the window," Larxene said with a malicious smile on her face, Demyx caught on to their conversation and decided to interject.

"How could you even accuse Roxy of having bad intentions towards Ax? Look at the kid; he's got a chastity belt on his chastity belt!" The dirty blonde, Marluxia and Larxene howled with laughter and Roxas felt a fiery blush burn his cheeks. Naminé turned from her front seat and shot them all deadly glares.

"Why don't you all leave Roxas alone? Just because he's saving himself isn't a reason to make fun of him!" Naminé scowled at them and they all tried to suppress the remaining giggles still bubbling in their throats.

"Good thing Axel is talented at lock picking, huh?" Marluxia said, staring into the rearview mirror straight at Roxas and receiving a jab in the ribs from Naminé. Roxas thought he was going to pass out; all his body's blood was rushing into his face to fuel the tremendous blush there.

"Oh Marly, that was fucking great!" Demyx said, hiding his laughing face in Zexion's shoulder. Roxas looked towards his fellow catholic for some help but judging by the blush on the blue haired boy's face, he was not going to receive any in this argument. Larxene caught Roxas looking at Zexion and burst out laughing again.

"Oh, oh Roxas, you don't think _Sexy Zexy_ is a virgin do you?" she asked and Roxas' eyes widened to the size of expensive china.

The three started laughing again, even Naminé adding a few giggles and Roxas looked towards Zexion who was hiding his face behind his scarf and had a glare set straight to the back of Naminé's car seat.

"Z-Zexion…you've already…?" the blonde trailed off and Demyx shot him a smug look, a curvy little grin on his pink lips.

"Oh, he has, he has," he said and nuzzled his nose into the quickly disappearing face of Zexion. Roxas looked mortified and the blush on his face increased if that was even possible.

"Is anyone here…a virgin?" he squeaked, Larxene, Demyx and Marluxia laughing loudly but Naminé and Zexion kept quiet with light blushes on their cheeks. Roxas looked around the car and his eyes felt like they were slipping out of their sockets.

"Oh…well then," he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable in the suddenly uncomfortable car seat. It was probably embarrassment.

"Don't worry! As soon as we get some meat on Axel's bones, he'll jump yours!" Demyx said with a bright smile and Roxas choked on his spit, Larxene taking the opportunity to smack the boy on the back.

"You guys! Can we just concentrate on Axel's problem instead of Roxas' virginity? We're almost at the hospital so we need to decide the game plan," Naminé said worriedly, and twisted her white scarf between her thin fingers. Everyone settled quickly and then began to think of ways to approach the delicate situation. Demyx _Aha'd_ and everyone turned to look at him.

"We should get him like, a pound of weed and then he'll get killer munchies and then wha-la, he'll be eating like no tomorrow!" The boy said as if it was genius, Naminé stretched back and smacked him in the back of his head. He pouted and rubbed the sore spot.

"I thought it was a good idea, I mean, I clean out my fridge every time!" He said with the same pout and Zexion disguised his laugh behind a cough. Roxas shook his head, and Marluxia seemed to consider it.

"You guys, we need a serious plan. Like, he's going to be really upset that we found out…we have to do something to get him out of thinking he's fat …this all started because of elementary!" Naminé said, and her shoulders sagged as she looked at Roxas.

"We have to tell him the story," she said and looked around the car, Larxene volunteered to tell it.

"Axel was a really fat little kid, and I mean he was _massive_!"

"Larxene!" the others hissed and she raised her hands defensively before continuing, "Okay, okay! This older kid in our school pointed it out one day, and after that, everyone saw it. All through out elementary people would call him really mean names and made him cry a lot. He started to loose a lot of the weight in middle school and eventually his mom caught wind of strange eating habits, took him to the hospital when he passed out from starvation and he was placed in a special treatment for a week with a psychiatrist and everything. He still wasn't getting better, obviously even if he said otherwise," Larxene heaved a breath and Roxas frowned.

"We have to convince him…he isn't that heavy little boy anymore," Roxas said quietly and everyone nodded.

"We do, but how?" Naminé asked and Roxas bit his bottom lip.

"We should all just get him to see that we care…Can I talk to him first?" he asked as they neared the hospital and no one objected, agreeing that he would be the first to speak with the redhead as they walked out of the car and towards the hospital.

Naminé did most of the talking, asking nurses and receptionists which way it was to get to Axel's room. It was like a regular hospital, though it had a much homier feel to it. They found Axel's mother sitting in a living room like area with a jittery knee and a cup of coffee. She stood to greet them when the group neared her; her smile was thin and tired, along with the rest of her.

"Axel's just in his room, I went to get something to drink," the woman explained, holding up her half empty cup. Roxas realized Axel looked a lot like her; they had the same sharp features and lean frame. Her eyes were the same blazing emerald colour and her hair was just as straight as the redhead's was, only his was always styled crazily, unlike her plain, brown, ponytail.

"Rob just left for work," she continued leading the group to the punk's room and stopping in front of the door.

"Who's gonna be the first brave soul to step in? He's been horribly bitchy," she sighed tiredly and Naminé smiled, nudging Roxas softly.

"Oh, uhm…May I?" he asked approaching the door and the woman smiled, side stepping him and letting him in.

"Go ahead honey, just be careful. He's a little twig filled with teen angst," Roxas heard all their laughter as he closed the door softly behind him. He walked into the room, which was fairly large and had a set of couches in the corner by a television and a bathroom. There was also a lump on the bed, which moved slightly at the sound of his footsteps.

"Axel?" the boy called softly as he approached the blanket covered mass, only receiving a hiss in response.

"Axel, it's me…Roxas," the boy tried, and stood near the bed. He saw strands of crimson hair spilled on the white pillow sheet, indicating that the redhead was indeed under the covers. He got a muffled reply.

"I know that, I have an eating disorder not amnesia," the punk hissed crossly and Roxas frowned. Suddenly, bravery welled in his chest and he went to the foot of the bed, gripped the sheets and tugged them clean off the body. Axel shot up; his hair puffy with static and underneath his eyes sat heavy purple rings. Roxas winced at the angry scowl on the boy's face.

"Give me my fucking blankets, Roxas," the punk said, and Roxas just balled them up against his chest staring at the redhead the entire time.

"No, Axel," he said and smiled when the boy glared at him. The sight of long, pale legs caught the blonde's attention and he found himself staring intently at the smooth skin that covered the redhead's lean legs. His mouth felt dry all of a sudden, a strange warmth building in the pit of his stomach…the boy had nice legs. He had to tear his eyes away at the sound of the older boy speaking.

"Why are you here?" Axel asked and Roxas walked around to stand beside the redhead, sheets still bunched up in his arms, pushing the odd feelings into the back of his mind.

"I came to visit you, to see if you were alright," Roxas said softly and stared down at the sheets he was holding.

"It's Sunday; don't you have better things to do, like…pray?" Axel questioned but Roxas could hear the cruel intent behind his words. He ignored them and looked up, meeting Axel's questioning gaze.

"It is Sunday, and I have prayed. I think God could forgive me for missing mass this once. I have a friend I need to knock some sense into," Roxas said, a soft smile on his face when Axel pouted cutely.

"God wouldn't forgive you for coming to see me, I'm-" Roxas cut him off, raising his hand to the other male's face and shaking his head.

"Don't say that Axel, I'm sure God loves you very much though I wouldn't say he's too pleased with you right now," The blonde said, picking lint off the sheets and Axel curled his top lip.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Roxas sighed, looking up at the boy again.

"With that you're doing to yourself Axel," Roxas whispered and Axel stiffened, he could hear the bed creak as the boy moved.

"I'm not doing anything…" Axel mumbled and Roxas tossed the sheets onto the floor angrily.

"What do you mean Axel; you're killing yourself, is that not something?" Roxas said, trying to keep his anger in check.

"So what? No one would miss me…I'm just this…disgusting blob," Axel whispered staring down at the bed as he curled his legs up to his stomach and wrapped his arms around them. Roxas recognized the closed off position and outstretched his hand, placing it gently on the punk's knee.

"That's not true Axel. You have all these wonderful friends sitting right outside of that door, worried sick, along with a great mother and father who would miss you horribly," Roxas said softly and the boy looked at him with sad, teary eyes. The expression didn't suite the redhead at all.

"How can they love me, when I'm disgusting?" Axel asked frowning and Roxas shook his head moving his hand from the boy's knee to his cheek, making sure the boy kept looking at him. He was going to tell the redhead how wrong he was, he was going to confess to him how he had caught his eye from the moment he saw him in late November.

"Axel, I'm going to help you. I'm going to try and get you out of this…_horrible_ mind frame you've put yourself in but first…you need to be willing to accept it and admit that it's wrong," Roxas said, a smile tugging at his lips when Axel's eyes widened in realization. It was what he had said to him in the bathroom all those weeks ago, strange how they felt so distant now.

"But Roxas…it's not wrong, look at me…" Axel whimpered, eyes watering even more and Roxas wiped a few stray tears away with his thumb shaking his head.

"I am Axel, and do you know what I see?" Roxas asked softly and the boy shook his head against his palm. His heart started to pound in his chest, this was where he would tell Axel…the butterflies returned when he felt those green eyes set on him.

"Y-y-you're…you're handsome Axel…really. From the moment I saw you, I thought so. You aren't too heavy, or anything…you need to see that, you need to see how wonderful you are…how much people would miss you if you'd disappear" Roxas said quietly

"No one would miss me…" Axel said just as quietly and Roxas shook his head, tilting the punk's face just the slightest bit, their eyes locking.

"That's not true Axel…I would" and Roxas watched Axel's face for a few minutes before leaning in and pressing his lips shyly against the other boy's. He pulled away, feeling his bright blush spreading like wildfire of his face and smiled at the shock on the punk's face. He prayed to God that he did it right.

"You…Roxas…I….well," Axel stammered, eyes wide and he blinked a few times.

"Please Axel, just accept the help everyone is offering, we'll all be by your side every step of the way…you need to get better," Roxas pleaded, and the red head simply stared.

"I don't know…I'm…well, I'm scared," Axel said and Roxas wrapped his arms around the boy quickly, the action surprising them both.

"Don't be…you have to trust people Axel, we only want…to help," Roxas mumbled against the punk's soft hair, Axel shifted and then wrapped his arms around Roxas' waist. He hid his face in the crook of the blonde's neck and inhaled deeply.

"I'll think about it…," he said softly and Roxas smiled, pecking Axel on the forehead like Roxas' mother used to when she was pleased with something the blonde did.

"Thank you so much, but the other's want to talk to you before we leave…I should go," Roxas said pulling away but Axel held him a little tighter.

"Come visit me, please…I…well, I like having you around, you're a lot better at talking to people then I would have thought," Axel said a hint of his old teasing laying underneath and Roxas nodded.

"I'll come as often as Naminé does, if you promise to get better," Roxas said and Axel bit his bottom lip, chewing on the plump flesh for a few seconds.

"I'll think about it…" Roxas sighed but accepted the answer as Axel finally let him go.

"The other's wanted to say hi," Roxas added quickly, shifting his weight on each foot and Axel nodded his head, telling him to let them in. Roxas smiled and hurried to the door, letting in Naminé, or better said, getting pushed out of the way by Naminé.

He took a seat beside Zexion as the boy read a magazine, frowning at whatever was written on the glossy pages.

"These things are mindless," the teen sighed, tossing it aside and stretching. Roxas smiled as a million questions swam in his mind.

"Zexion…about what was said in the car…" Roxas asked shyly, the blue haired boy turned to face him, visible eye wide, and his lips were pressed firmly together.

"I'm not going to yell at you…don't worry," Roxas said quickly, and the boy visibly relaxed, somewhat, until Roxas opened his mouth again.

"What was it like? Was it with Demyx…Do you love him? How…?" all the questions poured out of the boy's mouth before he could stop himself and Zexion chuckled softly, shaking his head at the seventeen-year-old's innocence.

"I think we've created a free-thinking monster," he teased and Roxas blushed, before clearing his throat.

"Y-you don't have to tell me, I'm just curious," Roxas mumbled and Zexion shifted a bit, tucking his right foot under his left leg.

"To answer your questions, it was with Demyx and yes I love him very much. As to what it was like and how…I think it's best to leave those unanswered," The boy said with a blush bright enough to rival Roxas'.

"W-well, you don't have to answer," he said and looked at his shoes, and watched the way the light made different patterns on the shined leather. Larxene who had been listening intently the entire time leaned in and smirked, Zexion going pale at the sight of her and Roxas jumping a few inches off his chair in fright.

"I think I could answer those," she said and Zexion began shaking his head furiously, but Roxas looked at her curiously.

"Would you really?" he asked and she nodded her head enthusiastically, cutting off Zexion's protest.

"I think you should go into sex prepared, don't you Zexy?" she asked though she did not wait for an answer and continued, "What it's like…Hm, that's a tricky question. Well Roxas, there's this little thing inside of you called a prostate and when that's touched it creates these wonderful sensations" she explained, making a walnut sized hole to demonstrate the size with her pointer finger and thumb as she told Roxas about his newly discovered prostate. The boy stared in awe as she explained this and Zexion buried his face into his scarf again, watching as Naminé stepped out of the room, a soft smile on her face and as Marluxia walked in.

"Wait, they do what?" Roxas shouted and Zexion spun around to see the blonde's eyes wide and shocked. He looked towards Larxene and the girl smirked, he caught the action she was doing with her hands and it was not at all pleasant. He had just turned for a few seconds and already she had scarred the other teen.

"B-but why?" Roxas stammered and before Larxene had time to answer, Zexion did.

"Roxas that is simply the way…uhm…males have intercourse other males. Male and female intercourse is completely different. As to why, it's to show the love two people have for each other…it's giving that person everything you have to offer," Zexion said, regretting having let Larxene explain the brunt of it to the seemingly traumatized blonde.

"I was gonna say that," Larxene replied with a wave of her hand and a twisted smirk on her elfin features. Both boys looked at her, one with understanding and the other with a look that told her he knew she was a filthy liar.

"So, Roxas, think you're ready to give up your ass virginity?" Larxene asked and the boy paled, swallowing becoming a much harder task and she laughed, clutching her stomach as she doubled over.

"P-p-priceless…" she gasped and Roxas blushed, hiding his face in his cold hands.

The two boys chose to ignore her for the remainder of their visit; she was still lightly chuckling as she walked in to speak with Axel.

Demyx was the last to go in, and when he came out he was almost crying, a thousand watt smile on his face as he burst out of the room.

"He's going to take the help this time! He promised!" Demyx said happily, sounding like he was about to choke on tears. Everyone let out their own shouts or sounds of approval and they all left the hospital with promises of visits and bright smiles.

Roxas was still slightly traumatized, but over all the news that Axel was going to accept the help elated the boy and made the drive home that much shorter.

Now the only things plaguing his mind were going home, and the fact that his mother and brother were supposedly coming to the city.

* * *

**A/N:** Ugh, these are coming a little later each time huh? But I think I'm spoiling you guys xD

ANYWAYS, I hope you all enjoyed this and if there is any typos, I'm sorry );  
Review if you'd like, and thank you for all the support and for reading this mind gunk xD


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**  
_Signs_

Roxas sat at home not quite sure what to do with himself. He was off for two weeks and did not have anything to do; he had already cleaned the house, and had just sat down from cleaning it a second time. His father still hadn't arrived from whatever trip he had gone on, but it had only been five days since his father had left, and would probably be gone another two days.

Roxas sighed, as he stood up the phone began to ring and he walked towards it, gently picking it up and placing it up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked softly and heard Naminé giggle on the other end; he smiled and shook his head.

_"Hey Roxas, Demyx and me are heading to the mall! I was wondering if you wanted to come?"_ she asked and Roxas nodded, but quickly realized she would not see the movement and instead voiced his agreement.

"Let me get changed, alright?" Roxas said softly, already walking towards his room and pulling a clean pair of slacks out from his drawer, along with a freshly ironed button down shirt.

Naminé told him they would meet him on his porch in 20 minutes and hung up. Roxas laid the phone on his bed and slipped into the black pants, and he slowly slid the white shirt over his under shirt. He watched himself in the mirror and scowled, he always had this same outfit, the black pants and white button down shirt with his leather shoes. The only thing that changed was what he wore over the white shirt; it was either a cardigan, a sweater or a sweater vest. Roxas decided he would wear a grey sweater over the shirt and combed his hair a few times before realizing with another frown that it would not stay flat. Deciding he was finished he grabbed his coat, keys wallet, the phone and headed out into the living room. He placed the phone back and slipped into his coat, wrapping his neck with the scarf he had hung along side his hat, and he gently placed that on his head then zipped up the jacket, locking the door behind him.

Naminé and Demyx were on the sidewalk about the walk up to his house when he turned and smiled at them. Naminé waved and Demyx waved just as excitedly. "Hey! You ready Rox?" Naminé said and Roxas nodded his head, walking along side them as they headed towards the bus stop that would take them to the subway station.

"I've gotta get a few Christmas gifts. What would you like Rox?" Naminé asked with a soft smile and Roxas shook his head with a light blush.

"You don't have to get me anything," Roxas said quietly and both Naminé and Demyx laughed. Demyx looked at the boy and smiled at him.

"Rox, every year we all get each other something. Nami and me already got each other's gift so we decided to go together to get whoever we're missing, I just gotta get Zexion something. You're out friend now, so that means you get a gift too, silly!" Roxas blushed deeper but nodded his head.

"Only if I can get you all something as well," he said and Naminé smiled at him.

"Of course," she said as they stopped and waited for the bus.

Upon arriving to the mall, Roxas looked around. He had never been to a shopping center before, to see all these people bustling about made his eyes widen in amazement. Demyx departed telling them he was heading off to get Zexion's present and they agreed to meet at the food court at 12:30. Naminé bit her lip looking around as they walked.

"I have no idea what to get Marly, and you. I already have everyone else's gifts," the girl said looking around; Roxas thought for a moment about how he could help the girl.

"I'd be alright with a good book," he said softly and she smiled brightly, before tapping her chin and looking up as they continued to walk.

"I have to get Marly something but I have no idea what! I might get him a necklace, what do you think?" she asked as they walked into a store and Roxas examined a necklace with a music note on it. He picked it up and smiled showing Naminé.

"A necklace is a great gift. I think I'm getting this for Demyx, do you think he'd like it?" Roxas asked and Naminé looked in the cases for a necklace. She looked and smiled at Roxas nodding her head. They exited the store, Naminé with a necklace for Marluxia and Roxas with one for Demyx. Roxas still had to buy a gift for Naminé, Larxene, Zexion, Marluxia and Axel. Naminé stopped in front of a bookstore and nodded towards it.

"We can go in here, and meet at the register. If I'm here before you, I'll wait and you do the same okay? I have to get you your present!" Roxas agreed and they separated. Roxas heading towards a few philosophy books he thought Zexion would like, he skimmed a few and finally found a large one that seemed to contain everything anyone like Zexion would enjoy. He smiled happily and turned but stumbled back after smacking into someone's chest. Roxas looked up and saw turquoise eyes and long blonde hair. He blinked a few times before apologizing and going to walk around the strange boy. He felt a cool hand grip his arm and he froze, eyes wide as he turned to watch the boy.

"Hello Roxas, fancy meeting you here," the boy said and Roxas blinked owlishly and tugging weakly against the hold.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't think I know you?" Roxas said quietly, smiling apologetically at the blonde haired boy. He knew he went to his school and that he had seen him, he just could not remember where he had seen the other male before. The blonde shook his head, a thin smirk spreading on his face.

"I'm Vexen, I go to the same Parish as you and the same school," he said and Roxas blinked, before smiling a little more surely. He now remembered where he had seen the boy before. The other blonde released Roxas arm, and eyed the book in the smaller males hands.

"For you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and Roxas shook his head smiling still, and trying to seem comfortable with the situation though, he was anything but.

"Oh no, it's for my friend Zexion," Roxas said and the boy shook his head, a soft frown on his face and Roxas did not understand why the mention of the other's name got this reaction from the other male.

"That group, they aren't good. Zexion even stopped attending church after becoming friends with them. The only reason I am telling you this is because we are brothers of the same church. I wouldn't want them leading you astray," Vexen said, his voice and eyes making Roxas shift uneasily and he tried to think of a way to escape the other boy. Something about the blonde made Roxas feel afraid.

"N-no, I'm sure they won't. Thank you for your worry," Roxas said and turned walking away from the boy quickly, he could feel Vexen's eyes on him the entire time, and even as he walked down the stairs towards the front of the store. His stomach was twisting and he felt nauseous as he purchased his book. He spotted Naminé with her own bag and quickly ran to her.

"Roxas, are you alright? You look scared," she said with a soft laugh and Roxas shook his head looking back as they walked away from the store.

"I-I'm alright…" Roxas trailed off and Naminé watched his face worriedly until she spotted a store where Roxas could get Axel a present. She nudged him softly and the boy smiled when she told him Axel would like something from this particular store. They headed in and ended up buying Larxene and Marluxia's gifts in the store as well.

12:30 approached quickly and Naminé rushed Roxas towards the food court, Roxas could not shake the feeling of being watched as he walked with her and they met up with Demyx. His skin was crawling as he took a seat and began to eat slowly. His appetite slowly disappeared, as he could not shake the feeling. Naminé watched him curiously and finally decided to ask him what really happened at the store.

"Roxas, what happened at the book store? You've been acting strange ever since…" she said softly and gripped his hand as he scanned the food court for the millionth time. Roxas jumped slightly when Demyx poked his cheek and he flushed in embarrassment.

"W-well…I ran into someone who just…g-gave me a strange feeling," he said and Demyx tilted his head to the side, while Naminé frowned.

"Did they hurt you Roxas?" she asked and he shook his head.

"No, it was Vexen from our school…he just left me feeling strange," Roxas said and Demyx scowled angrily.

"I don't like him, he hangs out with Saix and Xemnas doesn't he?" Demyx said and Naminé nodded. Roxas stared at the two questioningly and Naminé decided to explain.

"Xemnas and Saix go to this Catholic School a few blocks away from our school. Ever since Vexen started spending time with them, he became this religious weirdo and I don't know…he's just a bad person," Naminé said and took a bite of her salad. Roxas nodded his head in agreement; Vexen did seem off to the boy, as if you could not trust him.

After all their shopping was done, (Namine had been told to go shop while Demyx took Roxas to the art store where the boy bought her some lovely indian ink pens) they all headed home. Demyx said Good Bye and headed in the opposite direction. Naminé walked Roxas to his house and told him to relax and just forget about anything Vexen said and Roxas nodded, though he just could not shake the feeling that his meeting with the boy would not be his last.

He had given Naminé all his purchases, asking the girl if she would be able to deliver them to everyone and she had agreed. If Roxas' father would have seen those gifts, he would have wanted to meet his friends, and Roxas knew his father would not approve and he would be furious. Roxas wanted to avoid angering his father at all costs.

He laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering why he still felt nauseous and worried, a heavy feeling in his chest that he could just shake off. Why had Vexen left such an impression on him? There was something about the male that made Roxas extremely uneasy; it was the way he looked at him. It suggested he knew _something_ about Roxas that he shouldn't.

Closing his eyes, Roxas pushed thoughts of Vexen out of his mind and replaced them with thoughts of Axel. The boy's smile and his vivid eyes, the way he sounded when he laughed or even his voice when he was angry or serious. Then Roxas thought about their kisses, his cheeks flushing at thought. Roxas bit his lip, blush still burning his cheeks as a warm feeling pooled in his stomach and spread over his body. His hands became cold, he shifted uncomfortably in his bed, and the warmth slowly intensified as he imagined the redhead kissing him again, the punk's soft lips pressing against his and the way the boy's hands ran so smoothly down his back and lower. Roxas swallowed thickly and blinked, before staring down at his lap in horror. He may have never felt this before, but he knew what was happening. He was not stupid; he had been to biology and even from before, the school's always made sure the students knew what would eventually happen to their bodies.

Turning onto his side, he tried to will…_that_…away but the punk's image was still in his head and Roxas found his hand sliding down his stomach and under the waist of his pajamas. He gasped softly as his fingers brushed over his arousal and he quickly retracted his hand and turned onto his other side, eyes wide.

What had he just done? He surely was not going to pleasure himself, was he? He blinked, the heat in his stomach driving him insane. His fingers played with the drawstrings of his pants, every so often brushing over the raised material of his pajamas. Finally deciding to sleep away the odd sensation, he closed his eyes. This in turn made it worse, the only thing he could picture in his mind was Axel, the punk's warm hands sliding all over his body, gently holding him against his strong chest.

Roxas ran his hands along his stomach and again back into his pajamas, this time staying there as he applied pressure to the raised fabric. The sensation drew a soft moan from his lips and he found himself sliding his hand into his underwear and gently grasping his erection. He was blushing furiously, images of Axel still in his mind as he moved his hand slowly. He had never done anything like this before, but found that he actually liked the way it felt. His speed increasing as he became more comfortable with the idea of doing this to himself. He tightened his grip, experimenting slightly with different amounts of pressure and speed. Finally, his back arched off the bed and he released with a breathless whisper of Axel's name. He retracted his hand and blushed.

Racing into the bathroom, he stripped down and began running water for a shower. The evidence of his activities was washed down the drain and with it, went any minor doubts Roxas had about his feelings for the redhead. After his quick shower he crawled back into bed, feeling exhausted as his eyes drooped shut and he curled up under the covers.

He could not wait to visit the redhead, all the thoughts of Axel made Roxas realize how much he missed the boy…and he realized with a blush that he missed the other teen's kisses too.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, it feels like I haven't updated this is awhile D:  
Well, things are going pretty smoothly for Roxas...well...BUAHAHAHAH  
I miss Axel ):

Anyways, tell me what you thought about the meeting with Vexen and about the chapter in general.  
Thank you so much for reading and if you review, thank you (:  
I look forward to hearing from everyone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen  
**_Caught_

Roxas awoke the next day to a still silent house, he smiled as he stretched, glad that he didn't have to deal with his over-bearing father just yet. Rolling out of bed, he changed into clean clothing and collected a pair of socks off the floor. He would have to do laundry today, then maybe he'd call Naminé and they would go visit Axel in the hospital.

With that thought in mind, he zoomed around his house, taking the sheets off the beds and throwing them all in the washer. While he waited for the machines to finish, he dialed Naminé's number and hoped it was not too early to be calling the small blonde.

"_Hello?"_ Naminé said groggily on the other line and Roxas smiled a little ruefully.

"Hey Nami," Roxas said softly, he could hear the girl shift in her bed sheets and sit up, instantly more awake.

"_Roxas, Hey! What's up?"_

"Nothing, uhm…I was wondering Naminé i-if we could go visit Axel today?" Roxas asked shyly, poking the carpeted floor with his sock-clad toe. Naminé giggled softly on the other line and he heard her get out of bed.

"_Sure thing! Just give me an hour or so to get ready and I'll swing by your place in the car!"_ she said happily and Roxas was glad she was not upset that he had woken her up.

"Thank you Naminé and I'm sorry for waking you," Roxas said and she just laughed happily, telling him not to worry about it and that she needed to get up soon anyways.

Hanging up the phone he walked happily into his laundry room, the machine would be finished by the time Naminé arrived, so he would simply finish the rest when he got back. He glanced at the clock, which seemed to be going extra slow today, and he sighed feeling slightly exasperated but that still did not will the clock to move faster.

Figuring he could not stand there staring at the clock for an hour, he set off to clean his house, and ended up in his father's study. His eyes immediately fell onto the computer and he raced into the quiet room with walls lined with bookshelves. Quickly he started the computer, bouncing anxiously in his seat at the screen loaded and soon enough he was signing into his email account, mindset on sending his brother a reply to the email he never got the chance to.

There was a new email from his brother, so he decided he would read that one before replying. His heart was racing as the email loaded; he had not realized how much he missed his brother. His father had always driven it into his head that his brother was bad, that his brother would lead to his demise but he had always loved Sora.

'_Roxas, I'm not even bothering with the formalities anymore. I need to talk to you as soon as possible but that deranged individual that you are forced to live with changed your phone number right after we got a hold of it! _

_Mom is going crazy Roxas, she is so scared for you and she misses you. I doubt you know what it feels like to loose a child but mom's gone into detail with me explaining what it feels like. I know what it feels like to loose a brother Roxas and it is tearing me up. _

_I need you to email me or something, or even better call me. Please Roxas, whatever that man has told you is all lies! Mom and me are not bad people Roxas, we would never hurt you, please just call me._

_416-654-8134'_

Writing down the number, Roxas shut off the computer and raced to his phone, his fingers had trouble dialing the right numbers because his hands were shaking so badly. He held the phone up to his ear, and waited, listening to the rings with bated breath.

"_Riku, anyhow this is you calling me from work just to tell me you miss me…I'm going to fly over there and kill you,"_ Sora's voice was laced with sleep and Roxas felt himself smile, his heart hammering in his chest as he tried to find words.

"_Okay…is this Riku or some phone creep?"_ Sora sounded more awake now and Roxas realized that he had to talk or else his brother was going to hang up.

"Sora…" he said softly, his voice shaking when his brother's breath hitched.

"_Who is this?"_ Sora asked his voice filled with urgency. Roxas bit his lip and clutched the phone tightly in his hand before replying.

"It's…it's Roxas," the blonde said quietly, he had to pull the phone away as his brother screamed.

"_MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"_ the shout sounded through the receiver and Roxas smiled at how excited his brother sounded. They really wanted to find him.

"_Oh god, Roxas, is it really you? Please…if this is another dream mom is gonna kill me…Roxas, talk to me!"_ Sora breathed heavily over the phone, his voice shaking and Roxas laughed softly.

"It's me, Sora. I just got your email…" The boy said softly and Roxas could hear their mother race into the room, a shout of _"Sora, are you alright!"_ made Roxas' heart clench.

He could hear them talking, and suddenly Roxas heard a voice that brought tears to his eyes, his heart beating a million times faster then before and he smiled _"Roxas? Sweetheart…where are you? Are you alright? Is he there? Don't let him see you on the phone, just tell me where you are baby and I'll be there,"_ his mother's voice sounded the same as it always had, still sweet but now it was laced with sadness and worry. Roxas swallowed thickly and blinked a few tears away.

"I'm fine, he's not here…" he said and the woman breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"_Roxas…are you sure you're alright? Do…do you want Sora and me to take you away from your father?"_ she asked, she sounded unsure of herself as if Roxas would reject her and tell her he wanted to stay.

"I-I want to see you," Roxas said quietly, his own voice filled with tears as he tried not to choke on them.

"_Oh baby, where are you? I'll go,"_ his mother said, he heard her tell Sora to bring her a paper and a pen. Roxas could not believe this was happening; he was going to see his mother…and Sora. He was going to finally see them again after so long.

"Roxas?" his heart stopped when he heard the front door slam shut, he swallowed thickly eyes going wide as his father's steps drew closer and closer.

"_Roxas, baby…are you alright?"_ his mother asked, but Roxas could not dare answer. He hung up the phone and raced towards the laundry room, his father's steps drawing even closer. He stopped and saw Roxas, the boy busying himself by taking out the washed clothes; he tried not to shake under his father's gaze.

"What were you doing?" his father asked, Roxas looked up and away from the machine. He tried to hide the fear in his eyes before swallowing thickly.

"I was just doing the laundry," Roxas said and his father did not seem to believe a word he was saying. He was about to speak when the house phone rang again and he turned sharply on his heel, walking towards the ringing telephone. Roxas held his breath as he watched his father from the doorway answer the phone.

"Hello?" his father said voice hard to read and his face even harder. His blue eyes snapped towards Roxas then away before he spoke, "Yes, he's right here. I don't see why not, as long as he is home before 6:30," with that, his father hung up and walked towards Roxas.

"Your friend is almost here, she said something about you going over to her house for studying. Go get ready, I'll finish the laundry," his father said, walking into the laundry room, Roxas nodded and went to walk past his father who grabbed his arm roughly.

"And Roxas, if I find out that you are doing something the Lord wouldn't approve of…you will no longer be spending time with these friends you claim to have," his father's voice was stern and left no room for a reply. Roxas nodded his head and scurried away into his room, grabbing his backpack and sliding on his jacket. He raced outside and stood on the cool porch, thanking God that his father was in a pleasant mood and had let him leave with Naminé. Speaking of which, her car slowly pulled up and he ran towards it, jumping into the car and closing the door.

"Crap, I didn't know your dad was home!" Naminé said, eyes wide when she began to drive again, Roxas shook his head trying to catch his breath.

"He just came home, I'm surprised he let me come," Roxas said, chest still heaving slightly as they began the drive towards the hospital where Axel was. The thought of his mother and brother still present though he did not know what he would do about them. He just prayed silently that his father wouldn't check the redial.

"Oh, well I brought Axel's presents, yours and mine. They're in the back," Naminé said and Roxas nodded as they fell into a comfortable silence, he tried to push the worrisome thoughts away and focused on Axel.

A few minutes into the drive and silence, Roxas decided to speak, anything to take his mind off his Mother and Sora. "Naminé, w-what happens when two people…like each other?" Roxas asked, not daring to look at the girl as she drove. She stayed quiet for a few minutes more before answering.

"It depends on the people Rox. They both stay liking each other and leave it like that, or they start a relationship to expand on what they feel," Naminé answered, and Roxas wondered briefly how she had learned so much, but then he remembered that she was in a relationship with Marluxia.

"H-how long have you been with Marluxia?" he asked and she smiled, her cheeks turning a light pink as they neared the hospital.

"Since grade 8," Naminé said her smiling widening when Roxas' eyes grew rounder. She looked at him for a few seconds and laughed softly before returning her gaze to the road.

"I didn't…do anything with Marluxia till this year when I knew I was ready, and he respected my decision to wait all these years. That's how I knew he was serious about me and some one I could have a long relationship with," she said and pulled into the parking lot. Roxas suddenly felt a growing sense of respect for the pink haired youth. He always had a very different view on people like Marluxia and his friends, but they had proven him and his father wrong.

"I'm sure Axel's gonna be super excited to see us! His mom told my mom that he's getting a lot better, and they might even release him the second week of January!" Naminé's eyes were glowing with happiness at the thought of her friend being released early, and Roxas' smile matched her happy one as they climbed out of the car and headed towards the hospital after grabbing the presents from the trunk.

"I-I can't wait to see him," Roxas murmured shyly and Naminé turned to stare at him, "I-I miss him," Roxas said when he felt the girl keep staring at him, he lifted his eyes from the ground and looked at her, she was smiling.

"Wow Roxas, you've changed so much since November, it's amazing," Naminé said as they walked into the hospital and smiled at the receptionist as they approached the desk. "Hey, we're here to see Axel Flint," Naminé said quietly and the nurse smiled, and let them through.

"I hate hospitals," Naminé said as they neared Axel's room, Roxas nodded his head. He was not very fond of hospitals either, but he wasn't quite sure why.

They walked into the room, seeing the television on and Axel with a deep frown, sitting on the bed with a breakfast tray arguing with the nurse.

"I don't need you to stand there watching me!" the redhead shouted, looking quite exasperated when the nurse did not even budge.

"Mr. Flint, it's hospital procedure. Taking into consideration your condition and the reasons behind your stay, you need to be supervised while you eat," The nurse crossed her arms defiantly and kept her eyes locked on Axel.

"This is so bullshit," the punk hissed, picking up a fork and stabbing the eggs on his plate angrily. He shoved the food in his mouth and chewed, looking absolutely sour. Naminé giggled and walked further into the room, Axel's head shot up fork still held between his lips as he smiled around it.

"Axel stop being difficult and eat," Naminé said and Roxas poked his head out from behind her, smiling softly when the redhead's smile intensified and was directed at him. Roxas felt his heart begin to race, images of what he did to himself because of the redhead the previous night crept into his mind and he felt himself blush even deeper. Axel looked curious but instead pulled the fork out of him mouth and greeted his friends.

"I don't know how they expect me to like food when this tastes like dry horse shit," Axel grumbled and pushed the food on his plate around, but seemed to want to keep the different things on his plate separated.

"Well, when you're released we'll have Zexion cook up something super delicious for you," Naminé said smiling and Axel laughed before putting more food in his mouth, pointedly glaring at the nurse as he swallowed it. The nurse seemed to ignore him, probably familiar with the boy's antics and attitude.

"I can't eat anymore," Axel groaned, pushing his plate away and rubbing at his stomach. The nurse walked over and looked down at his plate before picking up the tray and telling him he did a good job, meaning he would get a dessert with his dinner. Axel rolled his eyes at the retreating figure and Naminé smiled, shaking her head.

"Here, Roxas and me got you presents," the blonde girl said and walked up to the boy's bed, dropping two neatly wrapped presents on his now free lap. Axel's eyes seemed to glow as he picked up the present from Roxas, he looked over at the boy who was blushing furiously and Roxas cleared his throat.

"I-I wanted to get you something…to thank you f-for all your help," Roxas said biting his lip nervously as Axel began tearing at the wrapping paper with vigor. Naminé giggled as he smiled crazily at the gift, he looked up and extended his arms towards Roxas and the boy shuffled over shyly. When he was within arms reach Axel wrapped his arms around him and pressed Roxas' close. The boy's blue eyes widened as his skin tingled and his stomach turned into a butterfly sanctuary.

"Thank you Roxas, I love it!" Axel said letting go of Roxas and slipping into his new green hooded sweater, he seemed fascinated with the thumbholes in the sleeves.

"How'd you know I love Orgy 13 clothes?" Axel asked, running loving fingers over the soft fabric and Roxas blushed as the boy grabbed Naminé's present.

"Naminé helped me," he said, and noticed that Naminé's present was a small box and he wondered just what the girl had bought the punk. Axel opened the present and revealed a tiny white box, he looked up at Naminé as he took the lid off the box.

"I got you a new pair of flesh tunnels, they're green!" Naminé said and Axel laughed happily, already unscrewing the back of his plain silver ones.

"Wow you guys, I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything! I've been in here and well…Nami you know I do all my shopping right before Christmas," Axel said blushing and Naminé smiled nodding, Roxas shook his head.

"It's alright," he said watching in interest as the boy slipped out the large metal cylinder from his ear. Blue eyes widened and zeroed in on the holes that made up the punk's ear lobe. Roxas felt his knees turn to jelly at the horrible sight and Axel saw the boy pale. This just made him laugh as he slipped the new green jewelry into his ears.

"Your…your ears!" Roxas exclaimed a lot like he had when he first saw them, and Axel just chuckled, screwing both earrings shut.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Axel said smiling and Roxas could not think of anything to say.

"Well…I'd never do that, but…it looks nice on you," he decided to say and blushed when the redhead smiled. Naminé seemed to catch the fleeting thought that Roxas wanted to be alone with the boy and excused herself with some story about wanting some coffee. Roxas turned to watch her leave his mouth almost hanging open. Axel watched the girl leave too and when she was gone, he pulled Roxas towards him by the boy's sleeve. Roxas let out an embarrassing squeak when the punk tugged him into his chest.

"God Rox, I've missed you," he murmured into the boy's hair and Roxas blushed horribly wrapping his arms around Axel.

"I've missed you too," Roxas found himself saying, his stomach tying itself in knots repeatedly and he could feel Axel smiling against his hair.

"Roxas?" said boy lifted his head and looked into Axel's vibrant eyes, the boy had a light blush on his pale cheeks and Roxas wondered why until he realized how close they were and he was also blushing.

"Yes?" Roxas questioned quietly, not wanting to talk loud in fear of ruining their position. He had wanted to be this close to the redhead since he left him in the hospital a few days ago.

"Can I kiss you?" Axel asked, and Roxas felt his cheeks grow even hotter. He smiled softly, nodding his head as his eyes slipped closed. Axel leaned forward and pressed his lips to the boy's, Roxas found himself encircling the older boy's neck with his arms and Axel's hands hoisted him onto the bed without breaking their kiss. Axel's tongue brushed Roxas' bottom lip and the boy shyly parted them, allowing the punk's slick muscle to taste and caress the insides of his mouth. His entire body tingled with excitement and a strange yet familiar heat began pooling under his belly button. Axel pulled away and smiled brightly at the boy.

"You seem to be getting better, huh?" Axel teased and Roxas blushed before whacking the punk's shoulder and looking away to hide his horribly red cheeks.

"Hey, look at me…I'm sorry, I didn't mean that in a bad way Roxy," Axel said and Roxas turned to look at him, his pout slowly disappearing and he smiled slightly at the ridiculous nickname he had just received.

"Roxy?" he asked and the punk nodded his head excitedly and hugged Roxas again, the boy giggling against the older male's neck.

"Yup! I thought long and hard about a cute little nickname for you and Roxy just came to me like a bolt of lightning!" Axel exclaimed as they pulled away from each other, Roxas rolled his eyes but smiled wider.

"So…how are your treatments?" Roxas decided to ask and Axel's smile quivered but finally he seemed to be able to force it to stay. Though it's radiance was dimmed with the fact that it wasn't 100% real.

"I've gained 3 pounds," Axel said and Roxas saw the turmoil in the boy's eyes, he really did not want to gain any weight. Roxas looked down at the punk's body hidden beneath a sweater, and his hands seemed to break free of his brain's control and did what they wanted. He found himself running his hands down Axel's chest to his stomach, sliding to his sides gently. He blushed when he looked up and caught the redhead's surprised gaze; Roxas went to pull his hands away but Axel held them in place with a firm yet gentle grip.

"Axel…that's amazing," Roxas whispered and realized he was leaning forward again, closing the space between him and the redhead. His body had gone traitorous it seemed and was completely ignoring his brain's demands to stay in place. His fingers curled in the fabric of the punk's sweater and their lips met again, this time Axel was the one who parted his lips and Roxas' small pink tongue slid past them and tenderly brushed against the redhead's. His mind was fogging and he could not seem to form any coherent thoughts, especially when the other male tilted his head and deepened their kiss further. He felt Axel's long fingers running through his hair and the soft sigh he released was lost into their kiss. His chest was aching and he was panting heavily through his nose but he could not find the strength to tear himself away, his body felt light and fluffy, the grip on the sweater tightened when Axel's hands slid away from his hair and down his back.

Suddenly remembering where they were, he pulled away panting, Axel was panting just as heavily as he gazed up at the blonde. Roxas' heart stopped at the sight of the boy, his wild hair was bright under the florescent lights, his cheeks were flushed, his lips were swollen and a wonderful cherry red and his green eyes were darkened by something the blonde had never seen before. Roxas felt that heat under his belly button increase at the sight. He tried to clear his mind enough to ask the redhead something.

"A-Axel…I was wondering…" he began nervously and Axel simply watched him, his fingers drawing little patterns on the blonde's back. "Well…I was wondering what…what we're going to do," he said looking down at the white sheets; he realized he hadn't let go of the other male's sweater but he also didn't want to.

"What do you mean?" Axel asked and Roxas looked at him, the boy had a soft smile on his face and his head was tilted to the side.

"W-well…are we…going to…just stay liking each other or…" he couldn't find the words but the redhead seemed to catch drift of what the boy was trying to say and his smile grew, his eyebrows raising high on his forehead.

"Roxas Baine, are you asking me out?" he teased and Roxas blushed turning his head and trying to find anything else to look at.

"W-well…i-if you d-don't want to…" Roxas forced out, finding it hard as his throat slowly clenched and his mouth dried. Maybe he had been wrong and the redhead did not really like him, not how Marluxia liked Naminé.

"Roxas…Rox…Rooooxas! Hey, look at me," Axel said and Roxas forced himself to face the boy, the punk was smiling and he cupped the boy's blushing cheek.

"Why would you think I wouldn't want to date you?" Axel asked eyes crinkled with happiness.

"I-I…" Axel cut the boy off with a soft kiss, his chuckle cutting the contact short and he pulled away.

"Of course I want to Roxas, I have since I saw you," here he winked at Roxas and the blonde blushed furiously but his smile was the more prominent feature. He was just about to say something when Naminé burst in, her eyes filled with fear and Roxas turned to look at her, his smile disappearing at the look on her face.

"Roxas…my mom just called, your dad is at my house and he's furious!" She shouted waving her cell phone in the air and Roxas felt his heart drop to his stomach but it kept beating at a hundred miles per hour.

His father was at Naminé's house, but Roxas was here with Axel.

His father would know he had lied.

"_Have I not told you what happens to liars? They are an affront to the Lord, they shall all burn in hell,"_

_

* * *

_

**A/N:**How do y'all like my cliff hanger ending?  
-hides from the angry mob-  
lolol, sorry but I just had too.  
The suspense!

Oh and for those that wanted Sora, there you go 8D

Merry Christmas, or whatever the case  
I hope you all enjoy your holidays!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen  
**_Stuck_

The drive to Naminé's house was silent; both teens too frightened to say anything. Naminé decided to speak when they were already half way there.

"Roxas, what are we going to say? I don't want you to get in trouble," Naminé said, her voice shaking almost as much as her hands, she small knuckles turning ghostly because of her grip on the steering wheel.

"I can't lie to my father again…" Roxas whispered, his eyes trained through the windshield. Naminé worried her bottom lip as she watched him from the corner of her eye. Once they ran out of the hospital Roxas had begun to act strangely, his gaze was lost and his fingers were laced together in front of him almost as if he were in silent prayer.

"Roxas…we can tell him we went to the store for something?" Naminé said grasping at anything, any lie she could conjure. She was not very good at lying; it was usually Marluxia that helped her in that department when he had too.

"I cannot lie to him again, Naminé," Roxas said, his voice void of any emotion and his blue eyes still had not moved from the road. Naminé swallowed and looked at him, stopping at a red light.

"Rox, snap out of it!" She sounded desperate to help Roxas, but the boy knew no one could help him.

"Naminé, I'm fine. Please, can we just hurry," Roxas said quietly, his mind was racing with thoughts and his silent prayers to God. His father was going to be furious, Roxas was terrified to go home but he knew he had to. He always had to.

Naminé pulled into her driveway, Roxas saw his father's car was there. The sight of the dark vehicle only amplified his fear as he stepped out and walked towards the porch on shaky legs. Naminé caught up with him but before opening the door, she cast him a worried glance, Roxas ignored it. Once the door was shut, Naminé's mother appeared looking slightly bothered followed by Roxas' father whose eyes were ablaze with anger and his mouth pulled into sharp frown.

"Roxas, where have you been if you weren't here?" his father asked, voice like a whip striking Roxas and the boy tried to hide his trembling.

"Naminé, hadn't you guys gone to see Axel?" Naminé's mother spoke softly and Roxas' father snapped his head in the direction of the woman. His eyes then turned to Roxas and the boy could almost see the hatred beating out of him in steady waves.

"That boy?" his father shouted, and Roxas had no idea how to respond. Naminé's mother took it upon herself to respond for him.

"Yes? Axel Flint. Do you know his father?" the woman asked softly, her voice just like Naminé's and Roxas just wished he could disappear into the foyer tiles.

"I've yet to meet them _personally_, but I've heard enough about them to know I do not want my son around that…that…filth," Roxas' father walked over and grabbed the boy's arm roughly. Naminé's mother started, her eyes going wide at the sight of the small blonde flinching.

"The Flints are wonderful people, and…you're hurting him!" she said looking worried and trying to see the frail boy around the man's back. Roxas' father turned and glared at her viciously, teeth bared like some ferocious beast.

"Do not tell me how to deal with my child, if I were you, I would concentrate on raising your snake of a daughter," his father pushed past Naminé and left both blonde women standing there in shock as he dragged Roxas towards his car and pushed the boy in. Roxas did not struggle, nor did he look back as his father pulled out of the driveway and made his way towards their house.

"Do not even think about speaking, you disgusting sinner," his father looked at him angrily, Roxas had never wanted the ride home to be longer until this instant. Instead, they were there faster then usual and his father was at his side pulling him out of the car, his arm feeling as if it was going to pop out of its socket.

His father opened the door and threw Roxas into the house, slamming the door and stomping over to where the boy had fallen. Roxas tried to scurry away but his father was quicker. The man gripped Roxas' arm and raised him off the floor, making sure the boy was looking at him before he spoke.

"Now you're going to tell me why you were with that boy," his father hissed and Roxas could not think clearly, all he could think about was how his father knew Axel and his family.

"H-how do you know A-axel?" Roxas asked, and for once, his father did not strike him for speaking during one of his lectures.

"A man who attends our church told me about them. His son, Vexen, has seen that boy at school and he's a sinner, a vile corrupt human who deserves to burn in the lowest pits of hell! So you will tell me why you were with him!" his father shouted and all Roxas could concentrate on was how he had insulted Axel. Of all people, Axel, the boy who was kind and caring and one of the best people Roxas had ever met. The boy felt anger boiling in his blood, and suddenly he was struggling against his father's grip.

"You take that back!" he shouted and his father's grip loosened with the surprise of Roxas shouting at him. The boy took the opportunity, tugged his arm free, and glared at his father who was slowly recovering from the shock.

"What did you say?" his father asked his voice frighteningly calm but Roxas ignored it.

"I will not let you talk that way about Axel!" Roxas said, his throat going dry at the way his father looked at him. It was filled with disgust and hatred, for some reason it caused a stinging pain in his chest.

"What do you mean? Do not tell me you've befriended this boy?" his father asked and for once was not charging at Roxas, instead he stood there and that only fueled Roxas to continue.

"Y-yes I have and he's a wonderful person," Roxas said and that must have been what made his father snap because he slapped Roxas hard enough to make the boy stumble.

"He is not a _wonderful_ person Roxas, why can't you see that? He is going to taint you and ruin all the work I have put into saving your soul! You cannot feel anything for such filth, he's an abomination!" his father said and before Roxas could say anything, he hit him again, and again. His wrist cracked when his father stepped on it while Roxas tried to crawl away. Roxas screamed in pain but his father knocked the wind out of him with a well-placed kick to the stomach.

Roxas' felt his eyes swelling shut but his father wouldn't stop, he gripped his hair and lifted him off the floor, the boy whimpered at the sharp pain ripping through his head and tried not to choke on the blood oozing steadily out of his nose and into his mouth.

"You will not be leaving this house anymore. I will be dropping you off at school and going to pick you up. Roxas, if you even speak to that boy at school I will know. You are not going to become just like Sora…I refuse to let you," his father said, dropping Roxas and straightening. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes," Roxas coughed, his entire body burning in pain.

"Now get off my floor, you're ruining it. I expect that to be cleaned…spotless…by the time I pass by it again," his father left then, his footsteps disappearing as the man walked away from Roxas, and that is when the tears slowly trickled out of his eyes.

Roxas' arms trembled as he tried to get up off the carpet, he could not find any strength in his body to pull himself off the floor. His chest was heaving with the effort and speckles of blood sprayed from his mouth when he coughed but he had to get to his room.

Slowly, he began to crawl towards his door. It had never seemed so far before and when he reached the door to his room, he was exhausted. He willed all the strength he had left and stood, opening the door with one hand and cradling the other against his chest. His wrist was burning and the rest of his body was pulsating painfully. He stumbled over to his bed and dropped on it exhaustedly. It was not even very late, but he felt himself slipping away from consciousness. He did not know if he should fall asleep but he knew he did not want to be awake and feeling all this pain.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore every ache he felt, the blood was slowly stopping and drying on his face but he did not have any energy left to wipe it away, he didn't even think he could stand up. He hoped that when he would wake up, everything would be over but he knew that would never happen. He would wake up and his father would be there, he would wake up with a burning wrist and a bloodied face, he'd wake up and be forced to live another day like this.

"Why God, why are you doing this? Am I really damned?" Roxas asked no one, his voice sounding rough as he stared out the window. Again, there were no answers or angels descending from the heavens to send him a sign, proof that he was not just talking to himself.

Roxas screwed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the growing feeling of betrayal that was slowly crushing his heart. He had always trusted that God would save him when things got out of hand; he had trusted God but God was not helping him. He choked out a sob and tried to muffle his cries with a pillow, the last thing he needed was his father walking in and seeing him crying.

"Why don't you send someone to save me?" Roxas asked into the pillow but as he expected he did not receive a reply, instead his room was filled with nothing but his muffled cries.

When Roxas woke up, his father was there and his heart sunk. God had not saved him, but he found he wasn't too surprised. The Lord seemed to ignore Roxas' desperate prayers. He forced himself to get dressed after washing the dry blood from his face; he was reminded of his wrist when he tried to button his shirt and pain shot through his entire arm. He bit his lip to keep from crying out and instead turned to the bathroom for the first aid kit and wrapped his injured hand in a tensor bandage.

"Roxas, get up!" his father shouted through the door and Roxas groaned in pain as he pulled his pants over his legs. His entire body was aching and he had no idea how he was going to get through the day feeling like this. He slowly opened his bedroom door and looked around before walking towards the kitchen. His father was standing at the counter when he went into the kitchen for breakfast.

"I'm going to be leaving the house for a few hours. Stay here," his father said angrily and walked out of the side door, locking it and leaving Roxas inside. He stood there staring at the door until he heard the tires pulling out of the driveway and disappear down the street. He glared and for the first time in his life he felt hatred towards the man, he hoped he would never return. Standing by the door he saw the blood on the white carpet and decided he should clean it if he did not want his father coming home and beating him again.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you," he repeated over and over as he scrubbed the reddish brown spots until they became lighter and lighter. He was choking on the smell of cleaning chemicals but he kept pouring them on the carpet. His fingers burned but he found that he could let out all his anger with each excessively hard scrub. The stain was almost gone when he stood and admired his work.

"There, now you have one less reason to beat me when you get home, but I'm sure you'll find another…won't you sir?" Roxas said and glared at the portrait of his father hanging on the wall. It disgusted him that they looked so much alike. He put everything away and examined the hallway, making sure everything was clean. When that was done, we went into his room and closed the door. He only had a few more days before school started and he found that he could not wait for it to begin again. It meant that he would not have to be locked in the house 24 hours a day, though he would not be able to be with Axel. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to push the pain in his chest away, it hurt so much to know he wouldn't be able to speak with Axel…or maybe he could…he just had to make sure not to talk to the redhead around Vexen, and he'd have to some how explain things to Naminé and Axel.

Roxas knew that his dad's eyes at school would be Vexen.

Roxas sighed sadly, and curled up on his bed. He was stuck, honestly and truly stuck. He wondered when if ever, he'd be able to see his brother and mother again, he wondered when he'd be happy again, he wondered if he could stand it anymore.

For the first time in his life, the boy wanted to die.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen  
**_Strange_

Roxas awoke; it was the New Year though he felt no different. He glanced around his room, it was only 6:30am but he wanted to get ready and leave for school. His wrist was feeling better though it still hurt with certain movement, he had been glad it wasn't broken. He pulled the sheets away from his legs just in time for his father to walk by and slam a fist against his door shouting at him to get up for school. Roxas grumbled to himself, it was a new habit he had picked up after scrubbing his blood out of the carpet. He would tell himself how much he hated his father, or how angry he was or how miserable he felt. He was not talking to God or anything anymore; he did not think that would help. He brushed his teeth and walked out of his room, jacket already on when he put on his shoes. There was barley any snow this Christmas, he thought idly as he was dragged out of the house and shoved into his father's car.

"Now because of you I'm going to be late for work," his father seethed but Roxas simply stared out the windshield. "Remember what we talked about Roxas, if I hear that you've been around Axel and those demons, you will pay," his father glared at the boy from the corner of his eye and Roxas nodded solemnly.

"Yes sir," he whispered.

He didn't pay much attention to his father anymore, what was the point? All his father ever said was negative, all his father did was hurt him. When they pulled up in front of the school Roxas exited without saying a word and slowly made his way into the school. There were students everywhere, all of them happy to be with their friends again and bragging about whatever they got for Christmas. Roxas had gotten nothing but a midnight mass. On his way up the stairs, he spotted Vexen; the boy smirked at him and stood just in time to walk with Roxas towards his lockers. The boy's frame was thin and he looked ill, his long pale hair not helping his appearance at all.

"Good Morning Roxas, I hope you had a good holiday," Vexen said and Roxas looked at him as he stopped at his locker, pulling open the metal door and trying his best not to attack the boy that had ruined his life.

"Yes, I did Vexen. Thank you, I hope you had a good one as well," like any good Catholic though, Roxas was kind to the boy even if Vexen's presence left his skin feeling prickly and clammy.

"Would you care to have lunch with me?" Vexen asked as Roxas shut his locker and the boy examined the other blonde, something about the boy made him very uncomfortable and it was more then just the fact that he had told his father that he was friends with Axel.

"No thank you, I have to study in the library," Roxas said and turned heading towards his Biology class, Vexen's shoes barley made a sound as he walked along side him and Roxas tried not to let that creep him out but it wasn't working.

"Well, I hope to see you soon then Roxas, it was a pleasure speaking with you," with that Vexen disappeared into the crowd of bustling students just as the warning bell rang. Roxas' stomach was bubbling with nerves as he spotted Naminé and Marluxia walking together. Marluxia had his fingers laced with Naminé's and he was wearing the necklace she had bought him. His heart warmed at the sight but he suddenly remembered that Vexen might still be around.

"Hey Roxas!" Marluxia called out, but Roxas turned and dashed into his classroom. He felt like Vexen was still there watching him.

He took his usual seat and watched Naminé walk in, she looked wonderful with her light hair tied up and finally she wore a different colour. It was a soft pink sweater that Marluxia had no doubt bought her, and she sat beside Roxas as usual. The boy turned to her with eyes wide and filled with apologies.

"Roxas, are you alright?" Naminé asked and Roxas looked around the classroom before leaning over and whispering into Naminé's ear

"Vexen told my dad about Axel, that's how he knew. I'm not allowed to talk to any of you anymore, or at least not with Vexen around," Roxas pulled away and Naminé looked upset, her soft features contorted into a look of anger.

"What the hell is Vexen's problem? Why does he care who you hang around?" Naminé asked and Roxas shrugged and frowned. He did not know why Vexen cared, or why he had told his father anything.

"I just can't be seen talking to you or my father is going to punish me some how," Roxas said biting his bottom lip and Naminé looked pensive; she bit her bottom lip too after a few minutes.

"Axel is going to kill him," Naminé murmured as the teacher walked in, welcoming the class back and telling them to take out their textbooks. "He already hates Vexen for whatever happened between them, this is going to make him furious," Roxas looked at Naminé and the girl's face was filled with worry.

"I have to tell Axel…" Roxas said as the teacher began writing something on the board and Naminé nodded her head.

"He's been asking about you at the hospital…I don't know what to tell him, he's been really worried…he even lost a few pounds again," Naminé said and Roxas' eyes widened, his mouth falling open in shock at the news.

"C-can you tell him…I miss him and that I'll explain when he comes back?" Roxas said softly and Naminé nodded her head just before the teacher turned and announced a surprise quiz.

Lunch arrived quickly and Roxas walked out of his class only to be greeted with the feeling of being followed, he looked over his shoulder but the halls were void of anyone who seemed set on him. The feeling intensified but he ignored it and turned to head to the library only to come face first with Vexen's chest. The boy looked down and smiled; it chilled Roxas to the bone and made the boy's insides feel filled with insects, but not butterflies.

"Oh, s-sorry, I didn't see you there," Roxas said apologetically and went to walk around Vexen but the boy simply followed him.

"I know," Vexen said quietly and it was lost amongst the noise in the hallway, Roxas however heard and looked at the boy, his throat constricting with the odd way the pale male was looking at him. "Are you heading to the library, Roxas?" Vexen asked after a pause and Roxas found himself walking slightly faster. The hallways were emptying slowly and he did not want to be left alone with Vexen, something about the boy made him feel…frightened.

"Y-yes, aren't you going to lunch?" Roxas asked as they turned into a deserted hallway. Roxas could almost hear his heartbeat echoing off the walls as Vexen kept an easy pace with him.

"No, I find you much more intriguing," Vexen replied and Roxas felt his heart stop as his steps faltered slightly. "Why don't we head towards the public library?" Vexen continued and Roxas shook his head while licking his drying lips. Vexen cast him a strange look and Roxas found it hard to concentrate on the way he was heading.

"The library is the other way Roxas," Vexen said, Roxas nodded before turning and heading in the right direction. Vexen simply followed him the entire way and even sat across from Roxas at one of the small wooden tables. The large library was dim, and there was no one in sight but the two blonde males. Roxas wondered where the librarian was as he pulled out his textbooks.

"A few friends of mine saw you at mass on Sunday," Vexen said while Roxas opened his book with shaky hands, his fingers felt stiff as he turned the pages and read or pretended to read.

"O-oh, a-and?" Roxas whispered quietly, his heart was hammering and he wanted nothing more then to run away from the blonde boy that was currently watching him with eyes of a hungry predator.

"They wanted to meet you," Vexen said, voice lowered and Roxas could not stop the way his skin crawled at the sound.

"Oh, well m-my father isn't letting me leave the house," Roxas said and smiled timidly "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to meet them," Roxas looked down again and the other male chuckled, a disgusting sound in Roxas' opinion.

"I already spoke to your father about having you over for dinner, he was delighted," Vexen said quietly and Roxas' head shot up, his blue eyes round and filled with terror. Vexen stared into them and seemed to feed off the fear; he pulled away from the table and stood.

"Or you could come with me now, and forget about my dinner invitation," Vexen offered and Roxas looked around, considering it. He decided he could get it over with now and began to pack his things; he slung his bag over his shoulder and let Vexen lead him out a back door, and through the parking lot. Roxas examined the area and noticed that there was no one insight. The road that was blocked by a wall of trees on the far side of the lot was oddly silent; a sinking feeling slowly seeped into Roxas as Vexen smiled down at him.

"W-where are your friends?" Roxas asked when Vexen stopped and turned to look at him, his eyes still holding that strange look and his smile held no friendliness.

"I guess they aren't here, it's just us then," Vexen said, slowly inching closer to Roxas and the boy backed away until his back met brick wall, his eyes widening once he realized Vexen was trapping him.

"What a-are you d-doing?" Roxas stammered out, the close proximity of the other boy was making him uncomfortable and he squirmed the closer the taller blonde got.

"Roxas, I've had my eye on you for quite some time. You've shaken everything I was taught to believe in, you've brought out horrible desires in me that make my blood boil," Vexen grabbed the boy's thin wrists when he lifted his hands to push the older blonde away, when the male squeezed, a stinging pain shot up Roxas' arm and he whimpered trying to pull his hands away.

"Such soft beautiful features…you're a sinful temptress, trying to steer me away from the Lord's good path aren't you?" Vexen said, his cool breath chilling Roxas' skin as he lowered his lips to the boy's pulse. Roxas jumped back, trying to get away from the boy's mouth before it made contact with his neck but he only pressed himself against the wall and Vexen still kissed is neck.

"V-Vexen…I don't know what you're talking a-about," Roxas whimpered, twisting his head and tugging at his wrists. What was Vexen doing? Roxas' mind screamed at him that this was not right; it didn't feel right to him at all. It made his skin feel dirty and his stomach felt sick, it was horrible compared to what Axel's kisses left him feeling.

"I just had to get you away from them, away from Axel. If you aren't a temptress but an angel he would ruin your innocence with those tainted sinner's hands," Vexen raised his head and Roxas' looked at him with fear as the boy closed the space between them, sealing his lips over Roxas' mouth. The boy tried to move his head away but Vexen released his wrists and held his face between his cold, slightly clammy hands. Roxas shut his eyes tight and squirmed but Vexen did not move, he only applied more pressure to the boy's lips and slid his tongue along his bottom lip.

Roxas realized his hands were free; he raised his left hand curling it into a fist and bringing it down on the side of Vexen's head. The boy stumbled away and Roxas glared at him, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve before turning and running towards the school. He had no idea what that was about, but he was not going to stay and ask questions. There was something seriously wrong with Vexen, Roxas concluded as he tugged open the school's front doors and raced inside. He pushed into the bathroom and found Demyx and Zexion talking by the sinks, the dirty blonde looked over and smiled happily at Roxas.

"Hey there little dude! Nami told us what's goin' on so don't worry about ignoring us!" Demyx said waving his hand around the air in a carefree motion, Roxas was still panting as he walked over to the sink and opened the taps. He had to do something about the horrible feeling on his lips.

He began scrubbing at them and rinsing his mouth, Demyx tilted his head to the side observing him and Roxas looked up while he dried his mouth with a paper towel. It still felt disgusting but it was the best it was getting. "I went outside with Vexen," here both boys scowled and Roxas nodded before continuing "he kissed me, a-and said really weird things," Roxas bit his bottom lip and Demyx looked very disturbed while Zexion looked worried.

"Vexen is a very troubled boy, be careful around him Roxas," Zexion said just as someone entered and they all dived into one of the stalls.

"I'm not even going to ask," Marluxia's voice echoed off the bathroom tiles and all three boys breathed a sigh of relief.

Demyx flew out of his stall and gripped Marluxia's arms dramatically before shaking the boy, Zexion walked out along with Roxas and found Marluxia batting away the boy's hands and scowling at him.

"Zexion, what is wrong with this idiot?" Marluxia asked before looking at Roxas and smiling a little. "Why are you all hiding in the bathroom? What is this elementary?" Marluxia chuckled and Demyx glared at him with a childish pout.

"He's worried for Roxas," Zexion said and Marluxia raised an eyebrow at Roxas, the boy shuffled a little and leaned closer to Marluxia.

"Vexen…kissed me," Marluxia's eyes widened with shock.

"Oh that creep! When Axel hears this he's gonna fucking kill him!" there was an excited glint in his eyes and Roxas shook his head furiously.

"You can't tell him! I don't want him to get in trouble, besides…I'm not supposed to talk to him, I'm sure Naminé's told you everything," Roxas said and Marluxia nodded but he did not look too pleased.

"I still think Axel should know," before Roxas could say anything the bell rang and the boy's decided to let Roxas go out first before the three of them exited together after a few minutes. Roxas' still did not want Vexen to catch him talking to them, who knew what the boy would do.

Roxas made it to his last class, but whenever he was out in the halls, he felt like he was being watched. Maybe he was being paranoid but it still bothered him. He was frightened and a little shaken from his encounter with Vexen. He could barley concentrate, so when the teacher called his name he almost didn't hear.

"Roxas Baine, you're wanted down at the office," the teacher shouted and Roxas jumped up from his seat, "They said to take your things," Roxas nodded and stood up heading downstairs to the office.

His heart was hammering in his chest as he walked towards the front of the school where the office was located, he had no idea why he was called down, he thought he was doing everything right in school. He didn't do anything to get in trouble, so why was he being called down? He bit his lip as he thought about various things that would get him sent to the office or called down to the office but he hadn't done anything inappropriate.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked into the office through the glass walls. His heart jumped into his throat and he could not breathe for a few seconds.

"Roxas!" A brunette male called, his blue eyes locking with Roxas'.

Roxas couldn't believe it, he couldn't breathe. Right there waiting in the office was Sora and his mother.

* * *

**A/N:** What's this? Another cliffy?  
AHHHHHHHH AHAHAHAHHAHA :D

I hope you all still love me after this v__v

3


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen  
**_Family_

Roxas felt his world crumble at his feet, the linoleum tiles of the school gave away and he fell to his knees staring at the two brunettes. His mother raced out of the office, Sora close behind her as they kneeled in front of Roxas. For a long while they all simply stared at one another, none of them believing this moment to be true, no one knew what to say. His mother's blue eyes filled with tears while Sora looked unsure of whether he should cry or not.

"R-Roxas," he said quietly and the blonde nodded his head before being taken into the arms of his brother, the slightly taller boy rubbing his back over and over, almost as if he was making sure Roxas wouldn't vanish into thin air.

"We found you, we…finally found you," Sora mumbled into the boy's shoulder and his mother just cried quietly. However, being on their knees became uncomfortable and Sora let go of Roxas, the boy slowly getting off the floor. He could feel the people in the office watching them closely, wondering what exactly was happening but not really interrupting the odd scene.

"What are you both doing here?" Roxas asked, he could not think clearly, his thought process ruined by millions of questions. How had they gotten there, why where they there, what was going to happen now?

"We came to get you Roxas!" Sora shouted and their mother shook her head, placing her hand gently on Roxas' quivering shoulder and giving him a tender look.

"I came to speak with your father, I want to have custody of you…but Roxas are you alright?" his mother asked and she seemed truly afraid of the boy's answer, Roxas' heart filled with pain as his brother watched him sadly. How he had missed them, how he had simply wished for them to return. His prayers were finally answered.

"Thank you, thank you so much," Roxas sobbed and threw his arms around his mother's shoulders, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her soft scent and feeling safe once her arms wrapped around his waist. Never had he imagined feeling these hugs again, never had he dared dream of feeling his mother's warm touch.

The bell rang and Sora looked around ready to explode with excitement. "Come on mom, let's get home and call the lawyer!" Sora shouted and began walking towards the exit, their mother shook her head softly with a quiet laugh and laced her fingers with Roxas' leading him in the same direction Sora had stormed off in, Roxas followed in a slight daze, not really soaking everything in quite yet. Once they stepped outside, Roxas heard his name being called; he turned and saw Naminé running over to him.

"Roxas, are you okay?" she asked and the boy nodded just as Sora pulled up in a sleek blue car, he spotted a slightly familiar head of silver hair in the driver's seat. His eyes went back to Naminé and he smiled softly before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm just…going home with my…mother," Roxas said and the blonde girl's eyes widened before turning and regarding the brunette woman for the first time. She smiled brightly and stuck her hand out.

"I'm Naminé Cross, one of Roxas' close friends, it's a pleasure to meet you," the tiny girl said and Roxas' mother looked touched and a bit over whelmed as she shook the girl's hand.

"It's a pleasure," his mother replied once they release each other's hands and smiled at Naminé, the girl smiled back, then cast a look at Roxas.

"Well, I gotta go. Marly is giving me a ride, I'll see you tomorrow!" Naminé said, quickly hugging Roxas, excusing herself with his mother and waved goodbye before running off towards a black car that had Larxene climbing in. Roxas watched them drive away and wondered if he would ever see them again.

A horn blared out and Roxas jumped, his mother clutching at her chest and glaring at the two men in the car. Sighing she pulled Roxas gently and seated him in the back with her. "No patience, these two…" she said softly and all Roxas could do was smile a little crazily, he was delirious with happiness.

"Roxas," she said once they had pulled away from the school and the boy looked at her, a soft look in her eyes when the blonde turned his head.

"I can't believe I've actually found you," she said quietly and Roxas scooted closer, hiding his face in her shoulder and trying to suppress the tears.

"Are we heading to the apartment, or his house?" Riku asked and his mother looked up, telling the silver-haired male to drive to Roxas' home. Roxas looked up in surprise.

"Your apartment is here?" he asked and Sora turned in his seat, nodding.

"As soon as Kairi called and told us you were in this city we rented a place and searched high and low. It was not easy but we did it! Our apartment is half an hour away though," Sora said and Roxas nodded, before placing his head back on his mother.

"Roxas, I need to know…do you want to come with Sora and me?" his mother asked causing him to raise his head and stare at her, two pairs of matching cerulean eyes locked and Roxas felt his chest tightening.

"O-of course, I've wanted to get away from him for years," Roxas said sadly, his eyes brimming with unshed tears and his mother regarded him sadly, her own tears slipping down her cheeks as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," she whispered and Roxas shook his head, swallowing the tears before speaking.

"Don't apologize, it's fine," he said softly and she hugged him, pulling him close and they stayed like that for a while. Sora turned in his seat again and simply stared at Roxas, his big blue eyes filled with so many emotions.

"I've been waiting for this day for so long, I've finally got my baby brother back," he said with a sad smile and Roxas went to smile back, though the expression was wiped off his face when they stopped in front of his house. His mother saw the look in his eyes.

"Oh baby, don't be afraid. I 'm going to talk to him and see if he can understand reason, if not you're coming with me anyways," she said climbing out of the car and Roxas followed, his throat drying at the sight of his father's car in the drive way. Roxas went to the door, slipping his key in slowly, his mother, Sora and Riku standing on the porch behind him.

He opened the door slowly and heard his father in the kitchen.

"Roxas? You're early," his father said sounding angry, the boy tensed and looked back at his mother. She looked worried as they took a few steps forward.

"Roxas?" his father called but the boy just could not bring himself to answer, his father appeared in the archway of the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks. His blue eyes widened as he regarded his ex-wife and disowned son with his boyfriend standing right in the living room.

"What are you doing here!" he screamed and Roxas flinched backwards as his mother took a few steps in front of him, blocking the boy from the screaming man.

"I came to speak with you. I'm taking Roxas with me, and taking you to court," she said standing her ground bravely as the man charged at her. He stopped a few steps away, eyes ablaze with hatred and he looked possessed with anger. Roxas guessed there would be no making him see reason, his mother and Sora saw it too.

"You are not taking him anywhere, do you hear me!" he bellowed, throwing the dishrag he had in his hand on the floor and stomping on it as he came even closer to the petite woman.

"I'm taking my son with me and you cannot stop me, he's my child and wants to be with me! If you call the police you're the one who'll be charged, but with child abuse!" she hissed and the man became even more furious. His hand rose to strike her but Sora pushed the woman out of the way, glaring up at the man he had once called father.

"Don't you dare hit my mother," the brunette seethed, his eyes blazing with the same hatred his father's held. Roxas watched silently as his mother wrapped her arms around him, telling him it would be okay.

"You disgusting sinner," the man shouted and threw a punch aimed at the other male's face but Sora ducked quickly tackling the man to the floor and they began fighting. Their mother called out and told Sora to stop but he kept hitting his father. Riku decided enough was enough and stepped in, prying his boyfriend away from the man. Sora stood and wiped his bleeding nose just as Roxas' father lay on the floor, wiping the blood off his bottom lip.

"Get out of my house or I'll call the police!" he shouted and Roxas' mother turned, aiming a well placed kick to the man's stomach causing him to double over and gasp for breath. Roxas stared down at him, memories of all the times he had been in his position and he scowled, his mother took advantage of the time to pull Roxas away and towards the door. At the door, she turned and glared at him

"I'm leaving now, but expect to hear from me and my lawyers," she spit in his direction and quickly left, running towards the car before the man came out after them. As soon as they climbed in Riku hit the gas pedal and they flew down the quiet street and away from the blonde's house.

"You have keys right? We'll come by tomorrow and get your clothes, then I'll have to talk to my lawyer and see what can be done…I will not leave you with that lunatic," his mother said, slightly out of breath as they reached an intersection. They drove down a familiar street and Roxas' eyes widened as he looked around.

"M-mom…can…can you take me somewhere?" Roxas asked timidly, his mind still whirling with the things in his life that were happening too fast, but amidst all the chaos one face stood out.

Axel.

"Where is it?" she asked softly, all anger disappearing as she gazed down at Roxas.

"M-my…f-friend is in the hospital, can I stop by really quickly?" he asked and the woman looked at Riku, the boy shrugged his shoulders and cast Roxas a glance from the rearview mirror.

"Where is it?" he asked and Roxas told them the address of the hospital, Sora hummed turning in his seat, much calmer now that he was away from his father.

"That's on the way to the apartment!" he said, his nose still slightly dripping the few last speckles of blood. Roxas smiled softly at his brother and the other boy returned the expression.

"We'll stop but we gotta hurry, mom has to call before that Looney tries anything," Sora said, a thoughtful look on his face and Roxas nodded his head, staring out the window and watching the buildings blur by as Riku drove towards the hospital.

He took this time to rest his head on his mother's shoulders and close his eyes, finally thinking about everything that had just happened.

He was with his mother and brother again, he was safe.

The emotions welling up in his chest were almost too much, a few tears escaped and he sniffled as quietly as he could but his mother heard and tilted his chin up towards her.

"Oh baby, why are you crying?" she asked softly, wiping away the stray tears and making Roxas flinch away from the touch. He expected a strike instead of the gentle hand and was surprised by her tenderness. He looked at her, the woman's face slightly confused and he smiled softly.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm just so happy," he said and his mother smiled brightly, blue eyes shinning happily.

"I'm so glad Roxas, I was afraid you wouldn't want to come with me…" she said and Roxas shook his head, blue eyes wide.

"I've missed you both just as much, I'm so glad you came," he said as they neared the hospital and Sora turned, stopping his conversation with Riku.

"So…who do you know that's in rehab?" Sora asked, blue eyes filled with curiosity and Roxas blushed as Riku parked the car.

"H-he's a f-friend from school, he was sick and they brought him here…" Sora noticed the pink hue on his brother's cheeks and grinned hugely, Roxas too accustomed to those looks from his friends, fear spilled into his stomach.

"A friend? Your face says other wise," Sora cooed with a bright smile on his face, only to receive a whack on the head from their mother, she scowled at him and then turned to Roxas.

"Don't pay any attention to him Rox, he doesn't think with the right head," Riku said from the front seat as he shut off the car's ignition, Roxas' eyes widened and their mother sighed.

"Boys, lets not frighten him on his first day back with us," she said with a scolding tone and smiled at Roxas.

"We'll wait in the car sweetheart, take your time," she said and Roxas smiled, pecking her on the cheek before jumping out of the car. He heard another door open along with a shout from Riku and his mother that was muffled when the other door slammed shut.

"I'm coming to see this friend," Sora said keeping up easily with his brother and the blonde groaned. Sora chuckled, throwing his arm around Roxas' shoulders with an easy smile on his face.

"You think after all those years and all I missed, I'm gonna let you out of my sight? Mom just wants to give you space but I don't believe in that nonsense. There is no space between brothers," Sora said and grinned when Roxas looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"I do believe there is some space, or else that would be incestful," Roxas mumbled and Sora laughed loudly, pulling away from Roxas to double over and laugh louder.

"Woo Rox, when did you develop a sense of humor? And to say such things!" Sora giggled, the last of his laughter leaving as they entered the hospital's lobby. Roxas smiled at the nurse as she let him go ahead, already familiar with the tiny blonde.

"I've learned from my friends, I guess," Roxas said blushing, he was even amazed he had said something like that and Sora just smiled at him happily.

"I'm glad you've got some friends. I remember going to St. Andrews, you were miserable," Sora scowled and Roxas shook his head, a soft smile on his face as they neared Axel's room.

"I wasn't miserable, I was just…confused," Roxas said and turned to look at Sora, stopping in front of Axel's door. "Alright, I'm gonna go in first and explain what's happening…can you wait here for a few minutes?" Roxas asked and Sora raised a brown eyebrow, a knowing little grin on his face almost as if he had read Roxas' mind but he shrugged and agreed to stay put.

Roxas thanked him full-heartedly and pulled the door open. Axel was sitting on the bed and shoving clothes into a suitcase when Roxas walked in, he turned and smiled brightly at the boy, rushing over to him. Roxas noticed he did not have the heavy purple rings under his eyes, and he seemed to be well rested.

"Oh Roxas! I'm so glad you're alright," he said, hugging the boy and bringing their lips together. Roxas was about to say something but all thought was blown out the window when Axel wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his body. Roxas blushed as he returned the kiss, his small hands tangling in Axel's hair and he simply forgot about all his troubles as the redhead slipped his tongue into his mouth.

Axel pulled away and began littering tiny kisses all over the boy's blushing face, along his jaw and going down his neck, Roxas' stomach filled with butterflies as that heat began to slowly pool under his belly button again, and the blush on his face increasing as Axel kissed his pulse softly. "A-axel," Roxas choked out, not quite sure why standing or even talking was becoming incredibly difficult as the punk slowly kissed up his neck. The redhead pulled away and smiled brightly at Roxas, his eyes shinning with happiness and again that other emotion that caused his vivid irises to darken.

"I'm sorry, I was just excited to see you," Axel chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously and Roxas smiled back softly shaking his head and waving away the apology. He had enjoyed it.

"I just had to come see you to tell you I am alright, Naminé told me what was happening," Roxas said quietly and his eyes scanned the empty room, Axel smiled and shook his head, wrapping his arms around Roxas' waist again.

"At first I was terrified and got really worked up about it, but Nami called and told me you were fine. I calmed down after realizing that if I screwed up it would only keep me away from you, plus the doctors knocked me out with meds after the third night of staying awake," Axel said and swayed slightly on the spot making Roxas sway with him as if they were two middle schoolers listening to a silly love song.

"A-are they letting you out?" Roxas asked spotting the suitcase again and Axel beamed with pride.

"Yes, my mom is coming to pick me up in an hour or so," Axel said and pecked Roxas on the tip of his nose. Roxas blushed, but suddenly remembered who was standing out side.

Axel was so distracting!

"M-my brother is outside…and my mom came to get me at school…it's a very long story, but in short they are taking me away from my father," Roxas said and looked up to gauge Axel's reaction, the boy looked shocked and just a little confused. "I'll explain better after…" Roxas added but Axel shook his head.

"Wait, you have a brother…she's taking you away? Where?…Is it far? How is your dad about this?" Axel asked question after question and Roxas' was not sure how to answer and before he could the door flew open and Sora walked in, throwing his arms up in the air sighing loudly. Axel retracted his arms from the blonde as the boy flung himself around and stared at Sora.

"Roxas! I'm bored…sitting out there and…Oh, who's this?" Sora said, forgetting his complaints and eyeing Axel's lean frame like a predator. His eyes taking the punk in from head to leather boot-covered toe, he looked like a person who had not eaten in years staring at a feast. Roxas felt a strange tightness in his chest and quickly realized it was jealousy. He shifted so his small body was in front of Axel and regarded Sora, trying to hide the jealousy from his face. It was hard, the jealousy was increasing the longer his brother looked at Axel.

"This is Axel…he's who I came to see," Roxas said and watched as Sora walked forward, a brow raised as he looked at Axel.

"He's really not the type I'd expect you to hang around Roxy! Good job snagging a hottie though," Sora said winking at Axel and the punk's eyes widened. Roxas cleared his throat and Sora looked at him, "Oh! Sorry, my faggitude gets the better of me around sexy men," Sora smirked and Roxas stared at his brother in horror, Axel just chuckled, amused. Roxas turned and stared at him, eyes filled with distress.

"I'm guessing this is your brother Rox?" Axel said and Roxas noticed how the boy had taken a few steps away from him, why was Axel putting so much distance between them? Roxas felt a tiny glare taking over his features.

"Yes, Sora…this is Axel, Axel, Sora," Roxas introduced the two, silently trying to destroy the jealousy that was slowly growing. Sora sauntered up to Axel and took the punk's hand, in Roxas' opinion his touch lingered much longer then necessary for a friendly handshake.

"Roxas, we've gotta get going…Mom and Riku are probably starting to wonder," Sora said looking at Roxas and finally tearing his eyes away from Axel. Roxas tore his eyes away from the floor and looked up at his brother trying to hide the glare.

"O-Oh, okay…we better get going," he said softly and bit his bottom lip; he felt Axel watching him and shifted.

"Rox, you alright?" it was Sora, his voice filled with worry and Roxas looked up shaking his head and trying to force a smile onto his lips.

"Y-yes, I'm alright…let's go," he said and decided to simply look at Axel as he left. Sora turned and smiled at Axel, which was the last straw. Roxas' jealousy exploded, and he glared at them before stomping away from the two. He did not even see the looks on their faces as he left the room.

Why was he so upset? Why was he mad at _them_? He had just seen Axel and had recently been reunited with his brother…this was no way to act around them but he just could not control it. He had never felt jealousy this strongly before; he had never felt jealousy at all.

"Hey, whoa Roxas slow down," Roxas was spun around by Axel; the punk looked down at him as he held onto the boy's elbow.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked and Roxas sagged his shoulders, feeling guilty for behaving like he was.

"I-I don't know…I just got jealous," the boy whispered truthfully and Axel chuckled, Roxas' head shot up and he looked at Axel as the boy smiled fondly at him. "You don't have to laugh at me," Roxas said angrily, he was usually so good with his temper, what had gotten a hold of him?

Axel leaned closer to Roxas and pressed his lips to the boy's softly and all the anger and jealously simply washed away, the redhead pulled back and hugged the boy close to his chest.

"Roxas!" Sora ran up to them and stared at the couple with confusion until Roxas peaked out at him from behind the punk's bicep.

"A-are you…guys?" Sora asked, realization dawning in his blue eyes and Roxas blushed before pressing closer to Axel, possessively wrapping his arms around the boy's slender waist.

"Oh god! Roxas I'm so sorry, I didn't know…aw, were you jealous?" Sora said teasingly, a bright smile on his face when Roxas laughed softly into the fabric of his boyfriend's sweater. He pulled away and looked up at Axel, a blush on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted that way," he said quietly looking at them, both Sora and Axel shook their heads, telling him not to apologize. "Let me apologize for being so…silly," Roxas said and Sora laughed, ruffling his hair and smiling brightly. Axel joined in too.

"It's alright, everyone get's jealous Roxas, when their in love. Well lets go, say bye to your little boyfriend…wait till we tell mom!" Sora squealed and turned, walking down the hall with a bounce in his step giving the two teens some space.

"I-I just reunited with him today…and he's already embarrassing me," Roxas said blushing and Axel laughed, hugging Roxas close and pressing a chaste kiss to the boy's lips.

"Brother's are good at that, wait till you meet my brother…he's a hurricane of embarrassing stories," Axel said and nuzzled Roxas before letting him go.

"I can't wait," Roxas said and waved Good-bye leaving Axel to walk back to his room as he hurried to catch up with his brother.

Sora smiled when Roxas ran up beside him, his eyes shinning with questions and the small blonde looked at his feet.

"Roxas wow… I'm gone a few years and you do a full 180…its crazy! Way to rebel little one," Sora said wrapping his arm around Roxas as they exited the hospital and headed towards the parking lot. "Rox…" Sora said softly and Roxas hummed, wrapping his arm around his brother too, enjoying having him there after so long.

"I'm really proud of you," Sora said and Roxas felt his heart swell with happiness. It was the first time anyone had ever said that to him, he smiled happily and squeezed his brother.

"I'm so glad you're back," Roxas said and Sora laughed, resting his head against Roxas' as they neared the car.

Roxas looked at the blue vehicle, his mother standing outside of the car with Riku and when she spotted them, she waved happily, rushing over and eyeing the two boys. "I was beginning to worry, are you two ready to leave?" she asked and Sora smiled along with Roxas, if it was not for the age difference they would make perfect twins. Their mother joined in with their smiles, glad to see her two sons together and happy.

"We're ready…and Mom, wait till you _hear_ this!" Sora said, making Roxas blush and quickly climb into the back seat.

He never imagined that having them back would have felt this good, of course, he loved them but he did not know what they would be like when they would return if they ever did or even what would have happened.

From what he had seen though, he knew they were just the same and he was so glad they had not forgotten him.

For the moment, he didn't want to think about his father and the war that was about to begin, for the moment he was glad to have his family back.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh, a little longer then usual but that's alright, yes?  
So, no cliff hangers this time!  
LOVE ME I SAY, LOOOVEE MEE!

Ehem, sorry.  
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this (:  
Chapter 17...a lot longer then I expected and still going!  
HAH  
Well, thanks to everyone who favorited/story alerted and reviewed so far, I'm sure I've thanked most of you!  
But another thank you isn't bad 8D  
So...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH -insert heart here-


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen  
**_Life looks up_

Roxas awoke in an apartment, the shock of waking up anywhere that was not his home filled his body as he sat up and looked around tiredly, his alarm clock hadn't woken him up but his internal one sure would not let him sleep in. He was about to climb out of bed when his door shot open and Sora flew in, diving head first into Roxas' sheets and startling the blonde.

"Time for school!" Sora sang loudly, Roxas flinched at the sound; it was too early for this.

"Thank you, Sora," Roxas said an undertone of sarcasm in his voice as his brother popped his head out of the sheets and smiled brightly.

"I've missed waking you up!" Sora laughed, his blue eyes shone with mirth when his brother looked far less pleased then he did. "Oh Rox, it's great to see your grouch face again. Still not a morning person?" Sora asked happily, as he rolled off the bed, Roxas following him and heading for the bathroom.

"I doubt I shall ever be…a morning person," Roxas said as he neared the bathroom door, he knocked and a grumble from the other side was his response. Roxas grumbled back, he really wanted to go to the bathroom.

"Oh, Riku's in there. He isn't a morning person either and usually showers to feel better," Sora said with a smile and Roxas' eyes widened.

"You mean I have to wait?" Roxas asked, his grouchy morning attitude increasing tenfold because he would not be able to brush his teeth right away. He had forgotten how bad his temper could be in the morning, he had not been around people this early in years.

"You can use the master bedroom's bathroom?" Sora suggested and Roxas darted off in search for the master bedroom, it was easy though seeing, as there were only two doors, the first one open and revealing Sora and Riku's room. Roxas felt his stomach give an uneasy twist as he neared the door, he wanted to use the bathroom but this was his mother's room.

"Go ahead sweetheart," his mother said from behind him smiling, she stood beside Sora in the fork of the hallway. Roxas smiled and thanked his mother before disappearing into her room. He heard them exchanging a few words but decided his shower and teeth brushing could be more important for the moment.

When he was ready, he walked out, refreshed and much less grouchy. Sora sat at the table happily talking to Riku as the platinum haired man read the newspaper and drank coffee. Roxas smiled, they seemed like an old married couple, though Sora's energy was nothing close to someone who was old and wise.

"Hey kiddo, Imma give you a ride to school. Give me your old house keys, tell me where your room is and by the time you get home, you'll have everything you need here," Sora smiled brightly and Roxas mirrored the action, reaching his messenger bag at the entrance and handing Sora his old keys.

"Are we going now? I don't want to be late," Roxas said and his mother shot up from the couch, and looked at him curiously.

"Sweetheart, don't you want some breakfast? I made you a lunch on the counter," she said and Roxas' body filled with a warm fuzzy feeling when he spotted the small baggie sitting on the counter along side a bottled water. Roxas smiled as his mom got up, passed him the lunch and hugged him.

"Be careful…" she said quietly and Roxas nodded, pulling away and thanking her for the food. It was still so strange to him, to be back with her and Sora. He had forgotten how much different it was with them instead of with his father but already he knew it was where he belonged and wanted to stay. They treated him like a human being.

"Alright! I'll be home soon," Sora said and waved as he shut the door and led Roxas to the car downstairs. He was humming excitedly as Roxas told him where in the house his room was. Roxas felt his stomach twisting as they neared the car.

"I-I…This isn't a bother, is it?" Roxas asked as Sora unlocked the cars door and the other male stopped, looking at Roxas over the roof off the car with a disbelieving look before shaking his head and climbing in. Roxas followed suit and sat beside his brother who was silently looking at the steering wheel.

"Roxas, I haven't seen you in so many years…my only sibling…my baby brother, and you expect this to bother me? I would even go into class with you if that were allowed. I told you…I'm not like mom who's trying so hard to give you space to adjust and I'm sorry if it's a little too much but…I missed you so much Roxas, you were…like my best friend," Sora said quietly and Roxas stared in shock as his brother's sad blue eyes lifted and connected with his. "I looked for you like crazy, and now that I've finally found you, I don't want to miss a second of your life. I'm your big brother…I want to be there for you always, never again do I want to be separated from you…it felt like…like," Sora couldn't continue, he choked and rubbed at his eyes trying to stop the tears, still a reflex from being raised by a man who hated any show of weakness. Roxas reached out and touched his brother's shoulder.

"It felt like a part of me was missing," Roxas said and Sora looked over with a red nose and glistening eyes, he nodded his head before wrapping his arms around Roxas, the hug a little awkward because of their positions but nonetheless it warmed Roxas' insides.

"Y-you can tell mom t-that…I don't need so much space," Roxas said as his brother started the car, the brunette laughed as he sped out of the parking and down the road towards the main street that would take them to Roxas' school. The blonde watched the scenery blur by.

"Alrighty, I'll be sure to let her know," Sora said as they drove, they neared the school quick, what with Sora's manic driving. Roxas still had his heart thumping in his throat when his brother swerved the car to a stop, the poor blonde stuck to the side of his door, fingernails digging into the leather of his seat.

"T-thank you," Roxas said, unbuckling his seatbelt with shaky fingers and Sora cackled more then laughed at his brother's expression.

"Now you see why we make Riku drive huh?" Sora asked and Roxas nodded, not wanting to be rude but never wanting to be driven to school by his older brother ever again. Sora continued to laugh happily and Roxas just shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"You're crazy," Roxas said as he opened the door, the cold air sweeping into the car and making both shiver.

"S'what I've been told," Sora replied with a bright smile and Roxas laughed as he stepped out of the car. His brother stopped him though with a call of his name. Roxas bent over and peered into the car through the window his brother had opened.

"Be careful okay Roxas? That bastard is fucked in the head," Sora said reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled a few numbers on it and handed it to Roxas, a soft frown on his face, "If you see him around the school or even as you're leaving school go to the office and call," Sora said and Roxas nodded his head, "I'll make Riku pick you guys up; he'll be here when you get out okay?" Roxas nodded again but stopped and looked at his brother curiously, Sora smiled happily, "Remember, mom wants to meet Axel so invite him to dinner," after that and wishing him luck, Sora drove off. Roxas laughed to himself as he turned and walked towards the school, he'd have to see if the redhead would even want to have dinner with them. Excited, he walked towards the entrance of the school.

The front yard was strangely empty and when he walked into the foyer, he knew why.

There was a fight happening.

The school's atmosphere was different, and there were students racing past Roxas chanting about a fight and the small blonde followed them, they went all the way to the side entrance that led into the parking lot and what Roxas saw made his heart clench. Axel was standing in front of three other boys, only one he recognized as Vexen. The punk's nose was bleeding something awful, and he had a dark red mark on his cheekbone as he yelled obscenities at the three. Vexen's eye was slowly swelling shut, and there was blood pouring from his mouth, the other two looked just as bad. Then one of the boy's, a strange looking one with blue hair lunged forward and tackled the redhead to the ground, an animalistic growl ripping from his throat as he tried to hit Axel. The teen just held him away and both males struggled, each trying to land a decent blow.

Roxas searched the crowd for Naminé, and found her shouting at the redhead to stop; she stood uneasily by the front of the mass of students almost as if she wanted to jump in herself. The blonde pushed his way past the people and Naminé turned to him with wide eyes, as Marluxia shouted from the back of the crowd, seemingly just arriving at the scene. The pink haired boy made his way past Naminé and into the circle, pulling the blue haired bastard off the redhead, and landing a hard punch square in the boy's face. Vexen and his silver haired companion decided it was time to go in and defend the poor blue haired boy who was lying sprawled on his back. The fight was now even, two against two as Axel stood and took a fighting stance, a malicious glint in his usually happy, green eyes.

Roxas watched the scene in horror as Marluxia howled crazily with a bright smile on his face, taunting the others and Axel laughed, the adrenaline from the fight clearly pumping through his veins. Roxas noticed the blood on the redhead's white shirt, his leather jacket left unzipped and part of him worried about the redhead catching a cold, the other larger part was worried about the boy being killed.

"How do we stop them?" Roxas asked and Naminé shook her head, biting her bottom lip to the point where it was almost bleeding, she watched with wide, terror filled eyes as Marluxia was hit in the face.

"I don't know…those two are usually never around…this was planned or something," Naminé said uneasily and Roxas stared at the boys fighting, the question of who those two were slipped past his lips and Naminé continued to watch the scene a while longer before answering, "Those are Vexen's friends, Xemnas and Saix…these weird super religious private schoolers." Roxas couldn't stand it anymore, standing on the outskirts watching Axel get hit was too much, even if the redhead seemed to be doing just fine, the blood oozing steadily out of a gash on his cheek was making the boy queasy.

"Axel!" he shouted and the redhead turned to look at the blonde, his eyes softening but the silver haired intruder quickly took him down. A student ran out of the side door, his eyes wide as he shouted that the principal had arrived at school and was no doubt heading towards where they all were. The mass of students dispersed and everyone found a different way to enter the school. The intruders ran off the school's property and left Vexen to fend for himself against the two still seething, adrenaline-pumping teens in front of him. He sniveled but Axel turned and ran towards Roxas just as Marluxia ran towards Naminé. The fight was over just like that, and the parking lot was empty.

"What the hell!" Naminé shouted her blue eyes still filled with horror, only intensifying as she got a closer look at her boyfriend and best friend. Axel chuckled weakly and scratched at the back of his head while Marluxia shuffled side to side like a scolded child.

"Why were you guys fighting?" Naminé shouted, though it was probably because she was so scared. Roxas noticed her tiny body was shaking and Marluxia wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and trying to sooth her. "I've never seen you guys fight like that," she said against Marluxia's chest, her eyes watering and the pink-haired teen squeezed her gently.

"Sorry babe, I saw Ax here in trouble and I had to join in, you know…defend Roxy's honor," Marluxia said and Naminé pulled away, Roxas was staring up at Axel, his eyes wide as he took in the deep gash on the punks face, Axel wiped the blood away only to have more slowly pour out. Roxas looked horrified and it was Axel's turn to shuffle nervously.

"Defend my honor? What are you talking about?" Roxas said as Axel opened his arms, inviting the boy in for a hug. Roxas hesitated, not wanting to be covered in blood and slush but gave in upon gazing at his boyfriend's face. Axel looked like he was apologizing, and the urge to be enveloped in those strong arms was too much for Roxas. The blonde slowly moved closer and wrapped his arms around Axel's waist, narrowly avoiding resting his head against the splattered blood on the boy's shirt.

"Marly told me what Vexen did while I was in the hospital…I couldn't just let that go. He won't be kissing you again…ever," Axel said, the anger in his voice very clear and easy to pick up on. Roxas just shook his head with a smile and looked up at Axel, the punk gazed down and Roxas grimaced. There was blood all over his face. Pulling away, he took Axel's hand and turned to Naminé, calling back to her.

"I'm taking him to get his face cleaned up, okay?" Roxas said and Naminé nodded, Marluxia was not as full of blood, his split lip was drying and the blood that had trickled out of his nose was now smeared on his sleeve. Roxas tugged Axel into the school and pushed him into the first bathroom he could find. It was deserted, none of the students enjoyed using the older, first floor bathrooms because of silly ghost stories and the like.

"I don't understand why you always have to be so violent," Roxas chastised as Axel sat awkwardly on a toilet bowl, his bottom almost sinking in and falling into the water, the thick chains dangling on his belt lifted up and out of the way as he sat.

"I was angry," Axel said slowly as Roxas wet a few tissues. The blonde shook his head at his boyfriend's reply and walked into the stall, shutting the door behind him. Axel looked up at the petite boy and grinned as Roxas began gently wiping all the blood away, the gash on his cheek was not as deep as Roxas had thought in his panicked state, so he knew the punk would not need any stitches. He held a tiny wad of wet tissue in his hand, tearing piece by piece to gently clean off the redhead's entire face. Once all the blood was gone, Roxas examined the slender face and smiled as his stomach filled with butterflies. Axel was fine except for the cut on his cheek and the darkening bruise on his other side. Roxas ghosted his fingers over the wounds, careful not to hurt the boy.

"All better?" Axel asked, gazing up at Roxas and making the boy's pulse race, Roxas nodded not trusting his own voice and Axel wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist. Roxas blushed deeply and Axel laughed tugging him down onto his lap. Roxas squeaked in protest, dropping the little collection of soiled tissue and found himself sitting on the boy's thighs whether he wanted to or not.

"I've missed you Rox," Axel said nuzzling his nose into the blonde's soft cheek, Roxas deciding he wouldn't fight against wanting to be close to the redhead, wiggled around a bit until he was straddling Axel's lap. The boy blushed deeply when he noticed their position, though Axel did not seem to mind one bit, instead his hold tightened sliding Roxas higher up his lap, Roxas noticed for the first time that Axel was wearing leather pants, only noticing this because he looked down as he moved closer to the redhead.

"I-I've missed you too," Roxas stuttered, an embarrassed blush working it's way onto his face as Axel smiled brightly at him, the boy looked up more to take in more of that beautiful smile and was surprised when Axel captured his lips in a slow kiss. Roxas' hands immediately left their post on the punk's shoulders and moved up into his hair, Axel sighed contently into the kiss, his tongue gently brushing against Roxas lips and the boy opened his mouth, letting the punk slide his tongue inside.

They pulled away when their lungs began to ache, though Axel trailed tiny kisses down the blonde's neck, the boy tilting his head and letting the punk have more skin. His stomach was clenched into a tight ball as Axel moved his hands from his waist down his thighs, long fingers caressing them over the pants. Roxas noticed the hardness in both his and Axel's pants. His blush increased and he pulled away quickly, sliding off the older boy's lap and standing. Axel eyed him curiously and Roxas shifted a little, a nervous laugh leaving his kiss-swollen lips.

"T-the warning bell," Roxas said, shifting even more then the discomfort persisted in his lower regions.

"I didn't hear anything," Axel said, getting up and towering over the blonde, the boy pressed his back against the stall and Axel trapped him in place, hands on either side of Roxas' head. The boy looked up and Axel smirked before kissing him again, taking the blonde's breath away as he immediately slid his tongue into his mouth, the slick muscle caressing his into movement. Roxas could not help the tiny sound that escaped his throat and his fingers dug into the metal stall behind him, his arms lying limp at his sides, almost appearing to be boneless.

Axel tilted his head, deepening the kiss and Roxas' entire frame shook when the punk's hands moved along his sides, the boy's thumbs slipping underneath his dress shirt, which had been untucked as his palms pressed against Roxas' hips, holding the boy gently. The heat coming off the redhead was enough to make Roxas' sweat, his body exerting itself to try to stay standing.

The punk pulled away from the boy's lips and again trailed those hot kisses along Roxas' jaw and up to his ear, nibbling on the boy's soft ear lobe. Roxas shivered harshly against the taller boy's body, his hands pulling away from the stall's cool metal and gripping at the punk's shoulders, fingers digging into leather for the second time this morning.

"A-Axel," he whispered pathetically, his voice shaking and probably too low to be heard by the redhead, who's lips were right by his ear, his warm breath making Roxas' body tingle, the heat in his belly almost becoming unbearable.

"I want you so bad," Axel breathed and Roxas' eyes widened, his throat constricting as he pushed the taller boy away, Axel's eyes widened, again that unknown emotion clouding his eyes and darkening the light green.

"A-Axel…t-the warning bell," Roxas tried pathetically to cover his nerves and fear; Axel smiled softly and shook his head.

"Sorry Rox," the punk apologized and Roxas stared at the boy, why was he apologizing?

"Got a little carried away, heat of the moment you know. Won't happen again," Axel said opening the stall door and letting the quivering blonde out first. Roxas' legs felt like warm jelly as he tried to walk and not look stupid. His heart sank and Axel caught wind of the saddened expression. He turned to regard the boy who looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, I got scared…" Roxas said uneasily and Axel chuckled, stepping closer and hugging the blonde.

"Don't apologize, it was my fault. I keep forgetting this is all knew to you," Axel said and Roxas blushed deeply, before smiling and pointing a finger at the redhead.

"And that we're always in public places," Roxas scolded, his thumping heart slowing and his airway opening again.

"Would it be better if we weren't?" Axel whispered huskily and Roxas' cheeks flared up, the punk pulled away laughing and laced his fingers with Roxas just as the real warning bell rang.

"Now that, was the warning bell. Come on, off to a day filled with learning and such," Axel said, leading them out of the bathroom, Roxas was still a bright red. A few passing students eyed them and their joined hands as they stepped out of the bathroom, one student even cat calling and whistling making the redhead laugh and flip him off.

"That was Hayner, he'll probably be in one or two of your classes next semester…I hope I have a few classes with you," The red head said softly and Roxas blushed before agreeing and sending one last look over his shoulder to where Hayner had been, the boy obviously wasn't still there.

"O-oh, Axel…before I forget," Roxas said as they reached their lockers, the punk stopped and smiled at him, tilting his head a bit and Roxas shuffled looking down at the floor.

"I-I was…wondering if you'd want to come to dinner?" He asked and the punk beamed down at him like a ray of sunshine, until something clicked and he frowned.

"Your father wants to have me for dinner?" the punk asked and Roxas shook his head.

"With my mother…Remember, I'm with her now…" Roxas said and the redhead laughed happily, smacking himself lightly on the forehead.

"Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot. Nevertheless, yes Roxas, I would love to have dinner with you. I'll give the rents a call when we get to your place, that cool?" Axel said and Roxas could not concentrate over the happy buzz filling ears and his brain being covered by a warm hazy blanket. He nodded happily and pecked the punk's lips before rushing off towards class, waving goodbye over his shoulder, both boys' smiles were bright enough to blind someone.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, I have people to thank!

**SweetNemesis91, SinfulZee, ShadowOfPhantasia, HisLastWalk, Thedeviltheangelandtheme, Yaoi. Loving. Jew, thetacoatemysoul, BonneNuit and Chocomiiillk123.  
**You guys might not know it, but you've helped keep this story afloat with your great reviews and over all craziness!  
Thank you all so much, and thank you to everyone else for reviewing and just brightening my day by enjoying my work!

Now onto my story commentary!  
Axel, you pervert control your libido!  
Poor Virgin Roxas, all scared of hard ons and such xD

Anyway, I'm sorry my updates are slower then molassis. I have a free day though, so yippy!  
Who knows, chapter nineteen might be in the works ;D

Thanks again everyone!

Your friendly neighbourhood Sharmander.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen  
**_Meeting The Parent_

Roxas stood waiting anxiously at the lockers, Naminé giggled softly as she watched him twisting the hem of his sleeve in between his fingers repeatedly. The blonde girl finally decided to save her friend from the internal torture he was no doubt experiencing and walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. Roxas looked over and smiled a little shakily, the girl smiled brightly.

"Roxas, you need to calm down," she said softly and the boy blushed, but nodded though he did not stop his fidgeting.

"I-I'm just nervous…he's going to meet my mother and…" Roxas looked at Naminé with worried eyes and the girl understood him completely. She smiled and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And you're afraid she won't like him?" she asked and Roxas looked down at the ground, he had been thinking about this all day. Axel was different, with his bright hair and piercings, his leather attire and make up. He was nothing like the clean cut Riku, and he worried that his mother would not accept Axel.

"I know Axel looks all tough and scary, but he's a softie Roxas, you know that! He's very polite too, my mom loves him!" Naminé tried to comfort her friend and Roxas bit his lip, he remembered Mrs. Cross treating Axel like a son, and he hoped his mother would love the redhead just as much.

"I know it's just…my brother's boyfriend is so…" Roxas paused searching for the word, Naminé had heard all about Sora, Riku and Roxas' mother during biology and she laughed.

"Well, why don't you just take Riku and Sora takes Axel? From what I've heard Sora seems to like him just fine," Naminé teased and Roxas' eyes widened in horror, he shook his head and pouted when she laughed even louder.

"That's not funny Naminé," Roxas grumbled and the girl just laughed louder as Axel approached them, a bright smile on his face as he threw his arm around Roxas' shoulders.

"Ready to head out?" He asked and Roxas nodded his head trying to still his moving fingers, Naminé sent him a look that was probably supposed to be comforting but since she was laughing it just made Roxas even more nervous. He regarded Axel from the corner of his eye.

Axel was very tall, Roxas' head barley reaching under the boy's chin and the heavy, leather boots he wore did little to help his height, the pants he had decided to wear were tight, almost painted onto his skin and of course, leather. All the silver chains and belts hung off his hips, creating a ruckus whenever he walked.

"Is something wrong Roxas?" Axel asked as they began walking and Roxas simply shook his head, worrying his bottom lip as they neared the front of the school. What if his mother didn't like Axel? Roxas worried silently, eyes trained on the tiles as they continued downstairs.

Axel watched the tiny blonde, Roxas could feel the boy's eyes on him and he worried the punk had caught wind of all his worry and anxiety. This was his first time bringing someone home, and he had just gotten back with his mother. Roxas dreaded creating a bad impression with his choice of boyfriend, after all, he had no idea what his mother would make of Axel, appearances were everything and Axel's appearance promised trouble and mischief. What would Roxas do if his mother banned him from speaking to Axel? He wouldn't be able to bear it, but he wouldn't be able to disobey her either. His head was beginning to hurt, his lip almost raw from all the biting it was receiving.

Axel suddenly stopped walking, Naminé almost bumping into his back and Roxas turned to look at him, confusion written on all his features though Axel's face was a lot different, he had an almost knowing look in his eyes. "You don't want me to meet her, do you?" Axel said slowly, his voice remaining calm but Roxas could pick up the undertone of hurt and he shook his head.

"No, it's not that!" Roxas said tilting his head to the side and trying to convince Axel that nothing was bothering him, "What makes you think other wise?" Roxas asked softly and approached Axel; the boy shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little.

"I can tell Roxas, you don't have to lie to me."

"A-Axel…it's not like that, it's just…" Roxas trailed off and the punk shook his head, still smiling.

"Look, we could postpone this dinner till Friday, I got stuff to do anyway. I'll drive over after I change into something better…just give me the address tomorrow. I'll see yah guys later," Axel said ruffling the blonde's hair, pecking him softly before turning and walking away at a brisk pace, disappearing into the crowd of students as Roxas stood there dumbly, watching the boy's retreating back, his mouth opening and closing trying to find something to say.

"Axel…"Naminé sighed and turned to follow the boy grabbing Roxas by the sleeve and tugging him after her. Of course, they found the boy heading towards the black Cadillac out back, cigarette in between his lips as he tugged the door open.

"Axel!" Roxas called, said boy lifted his head and looked at them as they approached, he looked slightly confused, as if he did not understand why they had followed him. "I want you to come today…" Roxas said, slightly out of breath from trying to keep up with Naminé's short and incredibly quick steps. Axel blew the smoke of out the side of his mouth, and decided to talk around the cigarette. In Roxas' opinion, it made him look menacing.

"Roxas if you don't want your mom to see me like this, I understand. I can go over to your place Friday, dressed different," Axel shrugged his shoulders and Roxas shook his head, pushing all his worries into the back of his mind. It would be good if his mother liked Axel, but what mattered most is that he liked him.

"I want her to meet _you_, not some one else," Roxas said softly, blushing and the punk tilted his head, pulling the cigarette from his lips and staring at Roxas. Naminé groaned from behind the blonde and shot Axel a look.

"You're such a guy Axel! Roxas is new to this; it doesn't mean he wants you to change. It's normal…now get out of your car and go with Roxas," Naminé said and Axel inhaled more smoke before answering.

"Roxas, you still want me to come?" Axel asked, exhaling and Roxas nodded his head excitedly as the punk shut the car door, locking it and walking towards the two blondes. They went around the school instead of through the side doors and appeared at the front quickly, Roxas spotting his brother's blue car and taking Axel towards it, Naminé breaking off and heading towards Marluxia's car with a wave and wishing Axel luck. The punk just laughed as Roxas dragged him towards the car. Thankfully, it was Riku in the driver's seat when they approached and he pulled open the passenger door, Axel climbing in and him following closely behind.

Sora turned and smiled brightly at them both, his blue eyes glowing as he took in Axel's appearance and leather clad legs, Roxas again felt that jealousy bubble in his stomach. Riku turned and extended his hand, smiling and Axel took it, mirroring his expression. "Axel Flint, Roxas' boyfriend," Axel introduced himself and Riku nodded.

"Riku King, at your service," the platinum haired male said releasing the punk's hand, and Axel's eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean like…the heir to King Hotels?" Axel asked and Riku smirked before nodding his head.

"The one and only," he said and Axel chuckled, Roxas sat there confused and Sora smiled at him, still turned in his seat.

"You don't remember right Rox? Riku's dad owns this huge string of hotels around the world…we'd stay at his hotels in whatever city it was we were searching for you in. We stayed in the King hotel downtown here but decided to find an apartment instead; you didn't think we actually paid every time right? We'd be bone broke!" Sora explained to his little brother and Roxas nodded before looking towards Axel, the boy was staring out the window as the scenery passed them and Riku drove them towards their apartment. Sora deciding to leave the couple alone, turned and began to pester Riku, the silver haired man simply shook his head and listened to his boyfriend prattle on about one thing or another.

Roxas leaned over and cautiously rested his head on Axel, the redhead looked down at him and smiled, before worming his arm around the boy's shoulders and holding him close. Roxas looked up, "Are you nervous?" he asked and Axel chuckled, Roxas thought about how much he liked the sound.

"Never, I don't get nervous Rox," Axel stated cockily and the blonde shook his head with a grin.

"Sure you don't," he replied, the disbelief evident in his voice and Axel scoffed, poking Roxas in the head with his nose.

"Watch, you'll see how smooth I am," Axel whispered quietly as they neared the large apartment complex and Roxas giggled softly, pulling away when the car stopped and he climbed out, the other men following closely behind.

"Mom is super excited, she's been cleaning all day," Sora said as he lead the group inside and towards the elevators, Axel laughed and shook his head.

"You should have told her not to bother. My room is a complete war zone," Sora laughed and Riku added a few chuckles as they boarded the elevator. Roxas smiled proudly at his boyfriend, Riku and Sora seemed to like him.

"Mom's gonna love him. She's always been into the punk-chic look," Sora stated offhandedly and Roxas' eyes widened, Axel smirked in a way that declared victory when the boy looked up at him with his round eyes.

"Whoa wait; did you just say punk chic?" Axel asked after a pause and Riku burst out laughing as Sora blushed, before nodding. "Someone watches too many fashion TV shows," Axel teased and Sora pouted, causing Riku to laugh louder.

"You don't know the half of it," Riku said as they reached their floor and climbed out, Roxas was still softly chuckling as they approached their door.

"Roxas, I approve," Riku said with a playful smirk as they unlocked the door and the blonde blushed as they all walked into the apartment. Well that was two down, one more to go. Roxas could hear his mother in the kitchen and Sora smiled before calling out to her, the woman's head peaked out of the archway and she smiled brightly. Roxas could feel his heart pounding in his temples, and he felt slightly dizzy with fear and anxiety.

"Boys you're home!" she said walking towards them, hugging Roxas when she was close enough and turning to look at Axel, her smile never faltering. Roxas cleared his throat and stood awkwardly beside Axel, trying to find his voice and introduce them.

"M-mom…this is Axel, my…boyfriend," Roxas said, finding it increasingly hard to get the short sentence past his lips, Axel stuck his hand out, smiling sweetly and his mother placed her hand in his.

"Axel Flint, I'm so glad to meet you Mrs. Baine. Thank you for having me for dinner," Axel said and the woman laughed, shaking her head.

"Think nothing of it dear! When I heard Roxas had a boyfriend, I simply had to meet him," she said, showing the boys into the apartment. They each took turns removing their shoes, and when Axel's boots came off a loud laugh escaped Roxas. Axel stepped on his left foot with his right, blushing as he tried to cover his socks. Sora looked over and began laughing too, causing everyone to stare at the punk's socks.

The boy had worn pink socks with piglets on them, and Roxas smiled up at the boy, his entire wardrobe had seemed to consist of only three colours. Black, white and red, giving him his edge but underneath the boots he wore pink socks; Roxas could hardly contain his laughter. It was like Naminé said, Axel was a softie.

"Oh hush, you love my socks," Axel said, hugging Roxas and making the boy blush deeply, his eyes darting around the living room but his mom was currently in the kitchen while Sora bounced on the couch watching TV.

"Rox, why don't you boys go hang out in your room, I'll call you all for dinner," his mom said from the kitchen and Roxas smiled before grabbing Axel's hand and leading him towards his room. Sora following them despite Riku's protest.

"Rox, I got all your stuff, mom put it away…whatcha guys gonna do?" Sora asked, rolling onto the balls of his feet and lacing his fingers behind his back just watching as Axel sat on his blonde brother's bed. Roxas looked at Sora, and for the first time felt slightly annoyed with his brother. Why had he followed them into his room? Roxas shook off the annoyance, feeling guilty for even being annoyed with his brother. He had only just gotten back with his family, how could they be bothering him?

Roxas simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders, moving to sit on the bed beside Axel and Sora watched them closely, his eyes staying on Axel a little longer before he sighed, taking a few steps into the room and closed the door. Roxas watched all this curiously, until Sora sat on Axel's other side, placing his hand on the redhead's shoulder. Roxas' stomach twisted nervously as his brother stared right at the punk's face.

"Axel you seem like a great guy, but looks can be deceiving so I'm going to warn you now. If you so much as give Roxas a split end on his pretty little head, I will rip yours off," Sora smiled brightly and Axel just chuckled, looping an arm around the brunette's shoulders, telling him he had nothing to worry about. Roxas could not understand why they seemed so friendly, especially after Sora had just threatened Axel! Roxas' eyes widened and he stood up, facing them.

"Sora! What's wrong with you, how could you say something like that?" he questioned, eyes wide and both boys just looked at him, before Sora laughed loudly.

"Roxas, this kind of thing is customary when meeting family! Axel needs to know you have a big brother to protect you and who will kill him if he hurts you. Mom will probably give him a talk too, not like mine though, mom's too sweet for that," Sora explained and Roxas' eyes just remained wide. He could not believe his brother would actually harm someone.

"Sora you aren't allowed to hurt people! It's a sin,"

"Don't worry about it Roxas, I'm not going to hurt you so, you don't have to worry about Sora hurting me," Axel said getting up and hugging Roxas against his chest, Roxas melted against the boy, his arms wrapping around his waist and he looked up into the redhead's eyes, he was smiling brightly down at him.

"I don't want anyone to hurt anyone, it just isn't right," Roxas murmured and Axel just laughed softly, both boys heard Sora get off the bed and stretch, Roxas turned his head to look at the man. He felt slightly grateful that his brother would hurt someone for him, though he knew he shouldn't condone that type of behavior, especially if it was a sin but then again who was he to point out other's sins?

"Well, I'm gonna go watch some TV with my hubby; I'll see you both at dinner. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" and Sora stepped out of the room, shutting the door, leaving Roxas to stare at it for a few minutes until he pulled away from Axel, horrified. The punk looked down at him curiously and Roxas figured he would have to explain.

He blushed brightly before speaking, "J-just imagine what Sora _wouldn't_ do," he said softly and Axel burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching at his stomach. Roxas chuckled softly too because knowing Sora, that boy had no limits. Roxas would never be able to do half of the things his extravagant brother did; though there were some things he wished he was not afraid of doing or saying.

"Oh Roxy, I love your family," Axel said, slowly recovering from his laughing fit and plopping onto the soft bed. Roxas followed him shyly, sitting down and crawling closer to the punk who was leaning against the headboard, completely at ease. Roxas smiled, overjoyed with the fact that Axel liked his family.

"I'm glad, I was afraid you wouldn't," Roxas said softly as Axel reached out and grabbed him, pulling the blonde against his chest and nuzzling his nose into the boy's soft hair. Roxas blushed deeply as he laid there, half on top of Axel. His mind began racing, providing him with images of them kissing, the warm sensation of Axel's lips against his. Roxas' stomach twisted tightly and he bit his bottom lip, tilting his head to look up at Axel who was staring up towards the ceiling.

"Rox…can I ask you something?" Axel suddenly said and Roxas blinked a few times before nodding against Axel's shirt. "Are you sure…this is what you want? I mean, you're pretty religious and everything and I'm not. I mean, I've never been to church in my life. Are you sure you want to be with someone like me?"

Roxas pulled away and sat up to have a better view of the boy's face. Axel's eyes followed his every movement and their eyes locked once Roxas was sitting, the punk looked genuinely worried and Roxas felt his stomach twisting tighter. He did not exactly know why Axel was worried, because in Roxas' eyes he was perfect. The blonde couldn't imagine who _wouldn't _want to be with Axel.

"Axel, your religion doesn't matter to me, well unless you were satanic," Roxas' eyes widened slightly and Axel laughed shaking his head.

"I'm not," he said and Roxas relaxed before smiling warmly at the boy, leaning over and hugging Axel. It was slightly awkward because of their positions but Roxas enjoyed any chance he got to hold the punk, or even have him near. Axel shifted higher up and Roxas slipped before the redhead gripped him and pulled him up, causing the small boy to straddle his legs. Roxas blushed before wrapping his arms around Axel's neck and leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Well," he continued, "You're not satanic so I have nothing to worry about. I want to be with you no matter what, after all, I went against my own beliefs for it," Roxas said softly, and he felt Axel shiver as his breath hit his neck. He smiled before nuzzling his face into the pale skin he saw. Axel laughed and squeezed Roxas.

"Alright, I just want you to be sure and happy…but, you don't still believe it's wrong, right?" Axel rested his head against Roxas' and the boy shook his head, jostling Axel's around a bit.

"No, I don't think it's wrong. I've never been this happy, how could it be wrong?" Roxas said, immediately turning a bright crimson when he realized what he had said. Axel stayed silent, and Roxas felt his heart drop into his stomach. He had probably said something wrong, or he had said too much. Roxas wasn't sure, but he pulled away to get a better look at Axel. The boy was smiling, his eyes glowing with happiness and Roxas was only slightly confused, the rest of him was relieved.

"I'm glad to hear that Roxas…truth is, I've never liked anyone this much," Axel said, gripping Roxas' cheeks gently and pulling the boy's face in for a kiss. Their lips met and explosions went off in the blonde's head, his stomach had twisted so much it had probably shrunk and his body felt warm and tingly. No matter how many times he kissed the redhead, it was always the same incredible feeling.

"Boys dinner is ready!" the call rang through out the house and Roxas felt like groaning, Axel pulled away from their kiss and grinned at the boy's pout before ruffling his hair.

"Don't look so upset!" then he pressed his lips to the blonde's ear, and whispered "We'll continue after dinner," the punk's hot breath tickled Roxas' ear and neck making him shiver and tighten his hold on Axel's shirt, he blushed brightly as the redhead chuckled, sliding them off the bed. Roxas slipped onto the floor and they made their way towards the kitchen for some dinner. Roxas made a mental note in the back of his mind to ask Axel if he wanted to attend the Sunday mass. Roxas after all was still a catholic and he wanted to attend mass, even once every few weeks.

After everyone was seated, they began to eat. Roxas' heart filled with happiness when he saw Axel, the punk ate slowly and little by little but what mattered was that he was eating. Axel caught Roxas looking at him and smiled, nudging his foot with his own, Roxas smiled back, returning the nudge. This began an all out war between their feet, and Roxas giggled making everyone look at him. He blushed when he caught his mother's eye and she looked at him knowingly.

"Now you two, eat your dinner and stop fooling around," she said with a grin and Roxas' blush increased before he nodded and continued eating. Axel nudged him again and he smiled, trying not to laugh as their war continued.

"So Axel, Sora told me he gave you the talk?" Roxas' mother said while she collected their plates. Roxas would have choked had he had anything in his mouth, which luckily he did not; he looked towards Sora who was grinning proudly and Riku who was smirking at the couple.

"Yes he did," Axel said, turning his head to smile at her as she walked back towards the table, offering them coffee which was only accepted by Riku. Sora asked her for a jack and coke, which earned him a slap on the head. Roxas laughed, silently enjoying his family's antics.

"Well, you probably should have figured that I would give you one too," she said preparing hers and Riku's coffee. Axel chuckled, nodding as she sat down to wait for it to brew.

"Roxas is very dear to me and all I want is for him to have complete happiness. I can tell you're a very good person and that you care for him which is why I approve. Roxas, I'm glad you've found someone to look after you while I wasn't here and I hope to see you more often Axel," she was smiling happily and Roxas felt elated, like everything had fallen into place.

"You have nothing to worry about, I want Roxas' happiness too and I'll do whatever I can to make sure he's always smiling," Axel looked over at Roxas making him blush, before he reached over and gripped his hand, Roxas squeezed back gently and smiled. His mother watched all this, her smile never leaving her face. She placed a hand on Axel's shoulder, causing him to look up.

"Welcome to the family, honey,"

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh, we are 110 pages into the story!  
This is great, I'm so glad everyone has stuck around and reviewed this (:  
It means alot! Especially since it was my first fanfic, I was soo terrified to post it.  
Now here I am, nineteen chapters later!

Thank you all for the great support and helpful advice!

Enjoy these happy moments, I'm telling you, the next few chapters will probably be fluff lol.  
Don't worry, ain't gone for good yet BUAHAHAHA  
and Vexen, you can't forget him.  
He be the spice of life ;D


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty  
**_Devil in a Saturday's Mass_

"Roxas, this is horribly boring," Axel hissed as they stood in church, Roxas rolled his eyes, elbowing the punk in the ribs. It had only been 10 minutes and already the redhead had complained at least a thousand times about how boring the mass was. Actually, this Saturday's homily was not nearly as bad as the one Roxas attended with his father, that Sunday long ago. This one was about love and the priest's voice was kind and caring, Roxas enjoyed it when he gave the homilies and not the other priest with the deep, depressing voice. Roxas had been excited to come on a Saturday because it was always this priest that gave the mass on Saturday's.

Of course, the old decrepit woman still sat at the organ and made it wail, as if it was in pain but at least the songs they sang were about love and everlasting happiness. Axel shifted slightly; the chains on his pants seemed so much louder in the church but thankfully, the people's singing drowned out the noise.

Roxas tried to ignore the looks everyone was giving the redhead, but it was obvious that not all of them liked him. There were very few people, who did not glare or stare, turning to the person beside them and whispering something. It angered Roxas very much, as a catholic, he knew that anyone was welcome into the house of the Lord and Axel had just as many rights as the next person sitting in church to be there.

Besides saying it was boring, Axel went along with everything very well. He stood and sat when he was told, he made the sign of the cross and he prayed along with everyone else. Roxas had given him a small hymn and prayer book that he found in the back of the pew and the redhead accepted it with a smile. Roxas watched the punk as he read the lyrics and sang them, his eyebrows furrowed at certain parts and Roxas felt his heart swell with happiness. He had been overjoyed when Axel accepted to accompany him to mass, and seeing Axel co-operate to this degree warmed Roxas' soul.

If his father did not approve, something deep inside himself told him that God did.

Roxas stood, the priest calling everyone forward to receive the Holy Communion. Axel stood and looked around as everyone exited the pews. "Is it over?" he asked and Roxas heard the relief in his voice, he chuckled softly and shook his head motioning for Axel to stay seated.

"No, I just have to go and get the Eucharist. I'll be right back," Roxas said with a soft smile and Axel nodded.

"Why can't I go again?" Axel asked quietly and Roxas leaned closer, seeing as the woman beside him was glaring at them. They were only whispering, Roxas thought and they weren't even in the way.

"Because you haven't had your communion," Axel nodded his head and shooed Roxas, the blonde smiled and eased away from the pew. The woman who had been glaring at him was still watching them and he felt angered for some reason. He could not understand why people had been staring ever since they walked in. Axel's appearance would attract many people's eyes, that Roxas understood, but did they have to stare _and_ whisper?

Roxas waited for his turn, shifting and looking along the line. There were quite a few people in front of him and he was quite a ways from Axel. While he was staring, he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder and he turned his head, blue eyes locking with an identical set, only the second pair was cold and void of any emotion. Roxas' throat dried and a scream bubbled in his stomach at the sight of his father, the man was right behind him in the line. He couldn't run though, or scream, so he just stood in place petrified.

"Good to see you again, Roxas," his father said but there was something strange in the man's voice, something not quite right with his eyes. They seemed glazed over and the look in them was making Roxas' stomach flip in a horrible feeling of anxiety.

"H-hello Sir," Roxas choked out as the line moved forward slowly, the man's gaze left his face for a moment and Roxas watched him as he scanned the entire church.

"Who are you here with?" The man said, removing his hand from Roxas' shoulder and the boy's body had already begun to shake, his heart pounding as he tried to inch away from the man, but only succeeded in almost bumping into the woman in front of him.

"A…friend," Roxas said quietly and cast a look towards Axel; the punk was reading the bible, holding it at arms length and squinting his eyes. Roxas felt his chest tighten at the sight, and he tore his eyes away before his father could see who he was looking at. He didn't want his father to see him here with Axel, not because he was ashamed but because he didn't want to cause the redhead any problems with the man.

"I didn't think you'd attend mass," His father said as he peered down at the smaller blonde with half-lidded eyes, a delicate eyebrow raised and Roxas noted that he looked diabolical, almost like Satan himself. "I don't think your kind is welcome here though," he said after a long silence, the line had moved a great deal and Roxas was glad to be nearing the front.

"E-everyone is welcome in the house of the Lord," Roxas said bravely, turning his back on his father and biting his bottom lip. He prayed silently for the line to move quicker, he wanted this mass to be over already so that he would be able to go home to his mother and Sora, to his own room and safety.

"Those who deserve it," was whispered into his ear, the humid air making his skin slightly damp and he jumped, his heart pulsating in his throat when he stepped in front of the priest. He ignored his father, the presence of the man just behind him as he placed his left hand over his right. Accepting the body of Christ with an amen he rushed towards his pew quickly, trying to hide behind other people so that his father's eyes would not follow him. Regardless though, he could feel the man's gaze burning a hole right into his back, and when he looked up he saw his father staring right at him, then his eyes landed on Axel.

"Roxas…you look like you've just seen a ghost, or does it taste that bad?" Axel whispered, his green eyes darting towards the priest and back at Roxas, the boy still looked pale and his eyes held a certain look of terror.

"W-we…we have to leave _now_," Roxas urged, standing up and worming his way past the people, Axel got up and tried to follow, much less quietly then the blonde. His boots banged against the pews legs, and his chains clanked and rattled, causing many people to look up from their prayers.

"Sorry," he kept whispering to everyone he either kicked or almost stepped on. Roxas would have found it comical if he hadn't been so frightened and needing to escape the church as silently as possible.

Once outside he inhaled deeply, relief washing over him after Axel finally caught up. The punk gripped his arm, turning the blonde to face him, Axel's eyes were filled with curiosity and Roxas smiled softly, cupping his cheek, which only confused Axel even more.

"Damn and I'll bet it was getting to the good part too right?" Axel joked but Roxas could not laugh. All laughter died in his throat once he saw his father exiting the church doors and walking straight towards them. Axel noticed his terrified gaze and turned, coming face to face with Roxas' father.

"I suppose this is the…_friend_ you brought?" His father leered, the man looked disgusted, his mouth pulled into a tight frown and his nostrils were slightly flared. Roxas shifted, not being able to find his voice in time. Axel though wasn't at all daunted by the man's hate filled stare or the tone of voice he used to address him.

"Yes, I'm the friend Roxas brought, what's the problem?" The punk asked and Roxas could tell he was already itching for a fight. He could see it in the redhead's stance, and in the way his fingers seemed to twitch, his hands slowly clenching into loose fists.

"Roxas, it's only been a week that you've left my care and already look what you've done," the man completely ignored Axel, which only angered the teen even more. Roxas saw his eye twitching and he stepped in between the two men. Axel could fight, but Roxas doubted he would be able to take down his father. "All the work I've done, all the years I spent preparing your soul and keeping you in the path of righteousness, and one week with that devil woman and you throw it all away," His father was slowly getting angrier and angrier. Roxas could see the telltale signs, from the vein pulsing in the man's neck to the way he jutted his jaw out.

"Don't talk about my mother that way," Roxas said quietly, still too afraid to shout at his father. Axel though, seemed just about through listening to the man.

"Why don't you shut your mouth and head back into church, pray for forgiveness for what you've done to your son, huh?" Axel narrowed his eyes at the man, who only scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Roxas gripped the punk's arm, bringing the teen's attention onto himself. When their eyes met, the blonde shook his head, eyes pleading.

"What I've done to my son? I've done nothing wrong," the man said and it appeared that was Axel's breaking point.

"You call beating him right? What is wrong with you!" Axel shouted and Roxas flinched, his father also seemed to be teetering on the edge and if Axel wasn't careful he would end up in a fight that he wouldn't win.

"Axel, stop it…let's go," Roxas said before either men could begin shouting again, he tugged urgently on the redhead's sleeve and Axel looked down at him, all his rage evident in his vivid eyes.

"Okay…but if it was up to me, I'd kill him," Axel mumbled, Roxas' father simply stood there watching them looking absolutely disgusted.

"Roxas, I'll see you again," his father said, letting them leave and Roxas felt a chill run down his spine at his parting words. Not wanting to stay and question it though, he dragged Axel quickly to where they had parked the black Cadillac.

"Is he always that polite?" Axel seethed as he shoved the key viciously into the ignition. Roxas was busy trying to slow his heart rate, he could almost taste the muscle on the back of his tongue as it pumped harshly, every thump felt in his throat. When they began driving, slowly his pulse went back to normal and he looked at Axel who still appeared vexed.

"Don't let him get to you, we're far from him and that's all that matters," the blonde offered, placing his hand gently on Axel's forearm and offering the angry punk a soft, reassuring smile. Roxas himself was trying not to let the man's words anger him too much, and with the years of practice, it was easier then it probably was for Axel.

"Well…I suppose. Hey, do you have anything important to do tonight?" Roxas thought about it silently, he didn't really have anything he'd label as important, unless watching Television with Sora was something he'd have to attend, though he knew Sora wouldn't mind being ditched if it meant Roxas was spending time with Axel.

"No, I don't," Roxas said with a smile and Axel nodded his head, turning into a street and merging onto a main road. "Why?"

"Oh well, I was wondering if you'd like to come downtown with me to this little club I usually go to," Axel glanced quickly at Roxas, and the boy's face was ecstatic. He had never been to a club before in his entire life, and if Axel wanted to take him of course Roxas wanted to go.

"Oh yes! I'd love to, I've never been," Roxas quipped, bouncing happily in his seat and smiling brightly, Axel chuckled as they neared Roxas' apartment.

"Well, I can come pick you up around 9. You have to ask your mom though, and just give me a call…ask Sora to lend you jeans or something," Axel tilted his head to the side as he parked the car along the sidewalk and turned to face Roxas. The blonde bit his bottom lip and furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's wrong with slacks?" the blonde asked a little sheepishly, he didn't think there was much wrong with wearing his plain black pants to a club though he knew the redhead probably didn't own a single pair which meant the club would be filled with people who more than likely didn't know slacks even existed. Axel just shook his head, smiling.

"Nothing, it's just…at the club slacks will look kinda weird, plus you wouldn't want to spill a drink or something on your good pants," Roxas nodded his head, unbuckling his seat belt shortly after.

"Oh alright. I'll ask Sora then, and I'll see you at 9?" Roxas blushed when Axel nodded and leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He still blushed whenever they kissed, even if they had done it so many times, he didn't know why, but he knew he did.

"I can't wait," Axel said smiling as Roxas climbed out, agreeing whole-heartedly. He closed the door and soon the redhead was down the road, disappearing from sight.

Wasting no time, Roxas rushed all the way upstairs, pushing his front door open quickly and scrambling inside, calling out for Sora. The brunette lifted his head over the backrest of the sofa, his lips red and swollen and he smiled when he spotted Roxas. Riku's head appeared shortly after and the blonde stared with wide eyes from the kitchen archway.

"Oh Roxas! You're home early from mass…how was it?" Sora said slowly getting up, Roxas pushed the horrified expression from his face and opted for smiling at his brother and Riku knowingly instead.

"It was good," he decided not to tell them about the encounter with his father, he didn't want to worry them, "I'll bet you two had fun while I was out…Hey Sora, do you have a pair of jeans that would fit me? Axel wants to go to a club tonight," Roxas said and blushed when Sora grinned widely, hoping over the couch and rushing over to him, enveloping him in a crushing hug.

"Of course, though you might have to roll them up…and you'll need different shoes if you're going to a punk rock club!" Sora said excitedly, gripping Roxas' wrist and tugging him towards his and Riku's bedroom. Roxas followed obediently and was tossed onto the bed as his brother threw open his wardrobe and began shuffling through all the clothes.

Roxas' face was hit with black jeans, a red t-shirt and a black sweater before he felt a pair of shoes fly over his head and hit the wall. He tugged the shirt away from his face and stared at his brother with wide eyes.

"Sora, you almost hit me with those!" He cried and the brunette pulled himself out of the wardrobe and bit his bottom lip while smiling.

"Ah, sorry Rox. Anyway, try those on and then come out and show us!" Sora left quickly, closing the door with a soft click and Roxas stared down at the clothes. The t-shirt was a bright crimson with a strange black design on it. There appeared to be an inky image of a crow on the left breast, the black from the bird dripping down the shirts front, the black jeans had a white hem and Roxas stared at everything before standing and deciding to dress himself before Sora came back and did that for him.

When he was finished, Roxas smiled at his reflection. He had never before seen himself in these types of clothing and he had to say, in the least vain way possible that he liked the way he looked. The shirt was just the perfect size, not too small but then not large enough to appear excessively baggy. The same went for the pants, they were slim cut all the way down and hugged his hips nicely, giving his legs a much nicer shape then his black slacks.

He turned and found the shoes his brother had thrown at him, they were black with white soles and laces, with a small circle and red star on the inside of each shoe. After slipping them on, he deemed himself ready to be presented to his brother and he walked out, finding that his mother had gotten home and was sitting with Riku and Sora on the sofa.

"Woo-hoo Roxas!" Sora whistled and clapped his hands, making the small blonde flush a bright red, Riku smirked, a compliment in its own way and his mother smiled brightly, standing before hugging him.

"You look lovely dear, are you planning on going out?" she asked as she pulled away and Roxas nodded, before looking at her.

"If it's alright with you," he hadn't even asked her permission and though it appeared that she had no problem he still decided to ask, he didn't want to seem rude or disrespectful.

"Of course! What time do you think you'll be home? I'm sure Sora will be up, and even if we're all asleep come in and tell me you've gotten home," she gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before announcing that she was heading out, claiming she had to meet with her lawyer then was heading off to a friends. They all waved her out and soon it was just the three young men.

"So, what time is Axel coming?" Sora asked as he threw himself back onto the couch, settling comfortably against Riku and Roxas sat on the separate couch. He did not want to sit where they had just been doing who knows what!

"He said he'd be here around 9," Roxas said, eyes drifting towards the clock on the dinning room wall. It read 7:30, and already the butterflies had begun to fill his stomach, anxiety bubbling in there as well.

"Well you've got some time, care to watch some television?" Sora asked already reaching towards the control on the coffee table. Roxas shrugged, smiling as his brother began to channel surf much to quickly to even see what was playing. He knew that soon enough Riku would complain and the two would begin arguing. It was always that way with them, and he enjoyed watching the two bicker, he knew though that they didn't mean anything by it which was probably why he found it entertaining.

With one last glance at the clock, he settled comfortably into the sofa and decided to stop worrying and enjoy whatever his brother left on, that is if he ever left anything for more then a second.

* * *

**A/N:** WOW!!!!!!!  
This took way too long to have up, and I'm not completely satisfied.  
but I had to post something!

I hope you guys are still with me v___v

Well, enjoy and review if you'd like (:


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**  
_Love_

Sora had been right when he said they would be going to a punk rock club, Roxas though, had had no idea what exactly that was supposed to mean. Standing now beside Axel, he realized that it was really short for saying that it was a place where people like Axel gathered, and in his mind, he dubbed it The Punk Rock Church. There was a man standing on stage, his black hair dripping sweat as he thrashed around, screaming really, though Roxas knew he was supposed to be singing. That man, he figured was the priest, preaching about death and destruction as the teens on what was supposed to be the dance floor jumped around, bodies banging into each other, it was utter chaos. There was also a band on stage with the black haired man (the choir, Roxas thought), the guitarist was what really held his attention though, the man's fingers were bleeding but that did not stop him from moving them along the fret at a speed that seemed inhuman. Axel followed Roxas gaze and smiled at the boy's expression.

"That's Xiggy, he's a mad man on the guitar," Axel shouted, trying to get his voice to reach Roxas' ears over the music. Roxas heard and nodded his head, opting not to speak and instead followed Axel around the club. The blonde was amazed at all the people who greeted Axel, slapping the punk on the back and smiling at him. Roxas in all honesty was terrified of every single person he was introduced to; the names he was given for each face for instance, never seemed to be real names, each of them were something you'd never find on a _legal_birth certificate, plus it seemed that every name was followed by a curse, Axel laughing when the person shot him a glare for calling them something though they simply shouted something right back. Roxas blinked owlishly, staring around the black walled club and feeling out of place with his plain, blonde hair and face clear of any piercings, tattoos and make-up.

"This is Luxord, he enjoys a good fag every now and then," Axel chuckled as he introduced Roxas to yet another person, the boy looked up, extending his hand and having it grabbed in a rough, calloused hand. The man's grip was not painful like the other one he had just met, Lexaeus' had been. Roxas didn't even want to remember how terrified he had been when he met the monstrous man. He had probably been around 7 feet tall and just as wide, with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes. The thick bull ring in his nose also did nothing to settle Roxas' deep, growing fear. Until he spoke, softly and bent at the waist so Roxas could hear him, his voice was quiet and gentle, like that of a Kindergarten teacher and Roxas felt like laughing, picturing this enormous man teaching a group of 4 to 5 year olds the ABC's but he held back because something in him told Roxas that should he laugh at the man's voice, he would be snapped in half. Roxas dully noted that by the end of the night, he would know almost everyone in the club and would have touched all of them, which in retrospect would have made him slightly uncomfortable. Already he had shaken at least 50 people's hands and half of their names were already forgotten.

When Axel finally took a seat at the bar he turned to Roxas smiling as another song started up, Roxas could swear he felt the bar stool he was seated on keep jumping to the beat of the song.

"You look really good Roxy," Axel grinned brightly at the blonde, making him blush deeply under the bright lights, if they had been anywhere else, Axel wouldn't have been able to see it.

"Thank you…you too," Roxas had to shout over the loud music, from his peripheral vision he could see the people on the dance floor actually dancing, or well, he'd hoped it was dancing and not something inappropriate. It looked a lot more like the latter in Roxas' opinion.

"I look like this everyday, but thanks Roxy," Axel's smile always caught Roxas offguard. It was so handsome Roxas always had to stare, atleast until Axel stopped smiling and began speaking. Though, the blonde still kept his eyes on the punk's mouth sometimes. "We can go dance!" Roxas was straining to hear Axel, his thoughts torn away Axel's lips and from the pair a few steps away from the stage, their tongues down each other's throats and the girl's leg hitched up high on the man's waist, his hand sliding up her thigh and disappearing under her skirt, when the punk got up and gripped the boy's hand. Roxas quickly figured out that what Axel wanted was to dance and let himself be guided over to the dance floor a little fearfully; he did not have the slightest clue how to dance to this.

Roxas looked around, there was a vast sea of people and if that was what Axel considered dancing, Roxas made a mental note to show him what the word really meant. What these people were doing was not dancing. The people that weren't close to having intercourse were instead bumping into each other, jumping high into the air and thrashing their heads around viciously, Roxas didn't know which dancing he really wanted if he had to chose, personally he was more of the type to Waltz or even Fox Trot. Axel grinned widely as he laced his fingers with Roxas' trembling ones and leaned down close to his ear.

"Try to stay close, this'll be fun!" and just like that they were sucked into the mass of jumping bodies. Roxas could do nothing but laugh crazily as he bounced and soon he was thrashing his head like every other person, deciding that this dance was slightly better than the other one, and a lot more liberating then the Box Step. Roxas, finally feeling the music and liking the way it left his skin tingling, smiled brightly as he caught Axel staring at him, the punk smiled back just at the singer shouted out his last words.

"And they will suffer!" The man's voice sounded over the crowd as they erupted in shouts and cheers, the guitar cried out and the drummer beat his set, sounding like his life would end if he did not hit each drum and cymbal as hard as he could.

Axel turned to him, gripping his waist and pulling them close together. Roxas blushed, glad that the lights in the club were dark and they moved together, enjoying the way the music pounded through them, Roxas realized that he was dancing like the other half of the club and his blush increased tenfold. Now, he could not decide which dance he liked better, thrashing around was great fun, but feeling every curve of Axel's body pressed against his was something else entirely. Suddenly the song stopped, and the singer cleared his throat, catching the attention of everyone on the dance floor.

"It's time for a little loving!" He screamed and the crowd shouted right back, some shouting requests and Axel joined them, shouting the name of a song he probably wanted to hear. Roxas watched, amazed at how everyone could shout so much for so long.

"I don't care what the fuck you want to hear, I'm gonna sing whatever I want!" The singer cackled into the mic, placing it back into it's stand and clearing his throat again. "Everyone pair the fuck up and I want to see you all dancing, almost _fucking_, 'cause this song will set the mood for sure and I don't want it thrown to waste!" Roxas' eyes were impossibly wide, the singer wasn't happy with the way people were dancing now? How much closer and intimate could people get on a dance floor without actually doing something inappropriate? When Axel looked down at Roxas, he started chuckling, lowering his lips to the blonde's ear.

"Don't look so appalled, he's really a good guy."

When the singer looked back at his band, the drummer hit his sticks together, once, twice three times and the song started. It was quite a change from the loud, skull crushing sound from before but Roxas found that he really liked it. The singer's voice carried a certain rasp to it, and when he wasn't screaming his throat raw, he sounded very good, talented even.

The small blonde found he liked the song, if he ignored what the black haired man was really saying. He was sure the word 'fuck' was used in a lot of different ways, and he was definitely singing about a woman. If he loved her or not Roxas wasn't sure but he knew for sure that he wanted the woman he was singing to, and he wanted her very badly...apparently.

Axel tightened his hold on Roxas and he in turn wrapped his arms around Axel's neck, gazing up at the redhead and smiling as they swayed to the music. A few other couples had taken the singers words to heart and were currently trying to suck each other's lips right off their faces but Roxas was content simply swaying to the song with Axel, he didn't think he needed anything else in that moment.

"Roxas," Axel whispered into his ear and the boy felt a shiver dance down his spine, spreading to the very tips of his fingers and toes. "I'm glad you came," Axel continued and pulled away, smiling softly down at the blonde. Roxas' heart was pounding as he stared into Axel's green eyes, and he smiled back just before the punk leaned in for a kiss. It was slow but passionate and made every hair on Roxas' body stand on end, his skin covered in goose bumps and his heart seemed to be pumping carbonated water through his veins because Roxas simply felt so fuzzy inside, so warm and bubbly he couldn't help but smile, breaking their contact.

Axel gazed down at him and Roxas stared right back, realizing the song was over and the lead singer was talking again, swearing and telling them all that lovey-dovey time was over and those who got laid tonight had to send him a Thank-You card with some cash inside. Together, Roxas and Axel decided they had enough dancing, feet aching and ears ringing as they approached the bar that was slightly quieter than the dance floor. They had decided to go get a drink before Axel had to take Roxas home. Roxas was feeling tired and when he asked what time it was, taking his seat Axel smiled a little sheepishly.

"It's 1 in the morning," Axel said and Roxas' eyes widened, the bartender coming towards them and when Roxas looked up, he had to blink once, twice, three times before looking back at Axel. The bartender looked almost identical to the punk, all the way from his hair to his happy, little smirk.

"Well, Axel, mind introducing me to your little date?" the man said and Roxas blushed as the redhead laughed, throwing his arm over the boy's shoulders and pulling him close to his side.

"Reno this is Roxas, my boyfriend, Roxas this is Reno, my brother," Reno, who was apparently Axel's brother stuck his hand out, smiling brightly and Roxas took it, smiling back a little in return. Make that 51 or so hand shakes, and only around 24 names forgotten. He was sure he'd remember Reno's name, after all, he was Axel's brother.

"So squirt, why are you out so late? Ain't it past your bedtime?" Reno teased Axel and the punk scowled, trying to swat his brother but failing because of the bar's counter. Roxas stood at Axel's side, trying to fight off a tired yawn and trying not to show that his legs ached and he really wanted to be laying in bed.

"Yo, I think Roxy here is tired," Reno said, pushing a drink towards the tiny blonde, who blinked a few times before reaching down and taking a sip. It was just plain juice, which was obvious and he noticed Axel drinking the same thing, only instead of taking a careful little sip, he chugged it down.

"Yeah, I was just gonna take him home now," Axel said turning and smiling down at Roxas as he sipped his drink. Setting it down, Roxas yawned again and nuzzled his face into Axel's chest, inhaling his scent and smiling. "I'm ready to go," Roxas mumbled into Axel's shirt and the punk laughed before they said good-bye to Reno and Roxas was led out of the club into the cool night air.

"So, did you have fun?" Axel asked as he held the car's door open for Roxas and the blonde nodded tiredly, making Axel laugh as he slid into the driver's side and started the car.

"I'm glad. Now let's get you home and into bed!" Axel said smiling brightly, Roxas smiled back before leaning his head on the window and shutting his eyes, letting the car lull him to sleep.

He was awoken by a soft voice in his ear, and even softer lips pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. He blinked his eyes open and slowly his apartment came into view and so did Axel's bright red head. "Home already?" he yawned and the punk nodded his head, climbing out of the car and moving to open Roxas' door, helping the tired boy out of the car. Roxas immediately wrapped his arms around Axel, nuzzling into the punk's warmth and making him laugh as they wobbled towards the building.

"You want to come upstairs?" Roxas asked, not really thinking as he stood by the elevator with Axel. He was much too comfortable clinging to Axel's side to really care about anything else but bed and cuddling against the punk's warm side. Axel chuckled but nodded his head as they climbed into the elevator.

They stumbled into the apartment, Roxas' tired legs banging into the end table by the door as he dropped his keys onto it. The television was on as they tip toed into the living room, fingers laced together and Roxas tried not to scream when Sora's head popped up, and thankfully, Axel did not get scared at all.

"You guys going to bed?" Sora asked, watching as Roxas tugged Axel down the hall, nodding. Axel went to reply but Roxas did it for him.

"Yes, I am so tired," He grumped and continued walking, mumbling a goodnight to his brother. Axel cast a look towards the brunette over his shoulder and the man simply smiled, telling him to have a good night and to get some rest. Roxas missed the wink Sorasent the punk, and he missed the embarrassed blush that tinted Axel's pale cheeks.

Once in Roxas' room they unlaced fingers and the blonde unzipped his coat, tossing everything onto his desk, deciding that he'd worry about cleaning up tomorrow. Once his pants were around his ankles, he remembered that Axel was in the room and that he had tugged him all the way in. He blinked up at the punk who was standing a few steps away from the door smiling.

"I should get going," Axel said softly, and Roxas was blushing furiously as he stepped closer a little awkwardly with his pants around his ankles and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist. Roxas looked up; the moonlight shining in through the window provided just enough light for Roxas to see the tired look on the punk's face.

"It's very late…maybe you could stay over?" Roxas suggested quietly, blushing and feeling embarrassed by his own boldness.

"I don't know…would your mother mind?" Axel seemed hesitant and Roxas remembered that she had told him to tell her when he got home. He pulled away from Axel, signaling for the boy to stay where he was and quickly kicking off his pants he rushed into his mother's room and tip-toed towards the side of the bed that had the lump under the covers. His heart was beating much too fast and he wasn't quite sure why he was so afraid but he was, he nudged her softly a few times and she sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

"Roxas sweetie, is that you? Did you have fun?" she asked, her voice rough with sleep and the blonde smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, it's me and yes I did. Uhm….mom...do you think that…Axel could spend the night?" he asked quietly, biting his lip enough to draw blood, he expected an outraged cry but instead the woman just ruffled his hair before dropping back into bed.

"There's a few extra pillows in the linen closet…ask Sora for a pair of pajamas," and with that she was softly snoring and Roxas smiled, kissing her cheek before quickly going into the living room and finding Sora, his eyes glued to the television as he watched cartoons.

"Sora…could uhm…we borrow some pajamas for Axel?"

"Oh sure, I'll get a pair from Riku," Sora got up quickly from the couch and walked past Roxas, heading straight for his room and turning on the light. Roxas could hear Riku grumble and the sound of a pillow hitting the wall with quite some force echoed through the quiet apartment, along with the man's cussing and Sora telling him to shut up and sleep. When the brunette reappeared, he held a pair of black cotton pants and Roxas took them, thanking his brother.

"Did you have fun Rox?" Sora asked as Roxas opened the hallway closet and quickly found an extra pillow for Axel, he knew his bed had quite a few but he figured he should bring an extra one just in case. He looked up at his brother and smiled.

"Yes, I'm just really tired. I'll tell you all about it at breakfast," Roxas offered and Sora smiled, ruffling his hair and wishing him a good night for the second time. Roxas hurried back to his room and found Axel, curled up on the bed sideways, his long legs hanging off the edge with his booted feet on the floor and Roxas couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face. He winced when he turned on the light and the punk sat up quickly, his make-up smudged as he rubbed his eyes and squinted, trying to focus on Roxas.

"So, whats the verdict?" Axel voice was quiet and tired, just as Roxas went to reply the breeze reminded him that his legs were bare and the light was on. He squeaked, quickly running and jumping into bed and confusing the punk. Once he was under the covers he showed Axel the black pajamas and smiled when the redhead sent him a confused look.

"These are for you…uhm…you can turn off the light to change…I-I won't look," Roxas was trying not to trip over his own words, the thought of the redhead undressing in front of him caused his stomach to tighten and the butterflies to return full force. Axel chuckled, sliding off the bed and bending down to remove his boots.

"I don't mind if you see me half naked, I mean…not much to hide, yanno?" Axel said as he kicked off his boots, and began undoing his array of belts, one by one they fell to the floor, Roxas took notice that he had been right the first time he saw Axel, only one of the belts actually held up the punk's pants. Quickly the boy's jacket joined his growing pile of clothes. Roxas gulped, his throat going dry when Axel's fingers finally went to work on the zippers and buttons on the front of his pants.

Slowly, slender, pale legs were revealed and Roxas had trouble swallowing, he felt like his airway was closing up and his cheeks were just about on fire. Axel grabbed the black pajamas and slid them on, cutting off the trance that had taken over Roxas and he went to turn off the light.

"Whose pants are these anyway? They are hella comfortable," Axel said once the room was engulfed in darkness and Roxas watched as the punk's silhouette neared the bed. Suddenly, Roxas was not very tired anymore, instead he felt wide awake.

"R-Riku's" He spat out, feeling the bed dip as Axel climbed in and under the covers. When their legs brushed and Roxas had to fight the tiny shiver of excitement that raced down his spine, he knew that feeling all too well and he had to squish it before it got out of hand and he ended up exactly as he had that night in his old room, taking a very cold shower. Axel was only climbing into bed; Roxas had no idea why that was causing all these feelings.

"Something wrong?" Axel's voice was suddenly over top of Roxas and the boy blinked, his eyes going round once he saw Axel's face right above his. He hadn't even felt the redhead get so close and now he was practically on top of Roxas. The blonde was blushing furiously, and he was again, very glad for the darkness in the room.

"No," Roxas said quietly before raising a hand and running it through Axel's hair, slowly tangling his fingers in the boy's red locks and bringing the punk's face down towards his. "Except…I-I'd really like a kiss," Roxas was surprised again by his boldness but decided that he liked it and Axel also seemed to enjoy it, if the bright smile was anything to go by. Axel leaned down quickly and pressed his lips against Roxas', making the boy shiver again as his tongue ran along the seam of his lips. Roxas quickly parted them and pressed closer, his fingers tightening their hold on Axel's hair as the punk's hands slid down his sides, soon warm fingers were feeling the soft flesh under the t-shirt and Roxas shivered, enjoying the gentle touch. He found that kissing Axel only increased the feeling he was trying so hard to quell, but instead of ending the kiss, Roxas tilted his head, changing their angle and Axel's tongue moved deeper into his mouth, caressing his tongue softly and a quiet sound escaped the blonde's lips at the pleasurable feeling. He just couldn't get enough of the taste of Axel.

"I thought you were tired," Axel asked breathily, pulling away and looking down at Roxas. The blonde smiled shyly and shrugged.

"I-I am," he whispered and Axel laughed softly before pulling away and dropping onto the bed beside Roxas, he pulled the blonde against his side and breathed in deeply. Roxas nuzzled close, pressing as close as he could.

"We should shower in the morning," Axel said after a yawn, Roxas, in his tired state hadn't even realized that they indeed had been sweating quite some bit at the club. With the excitement dwindling down, Roxas found he didn't care because he was once again very tired. He chose to simply nod and squeeze Axel a little tighter around his middle. Axel laughed softly, tightening his hold on the blonde slightly and kissing the top of his head.

"Roxas…can I tell you something?" Axel whispered into the dark after a comfortable silence had settled over them and Roxas nodded against his chest, his heart fluttered contently as he shut his eyes, again sleepiness was taking over and the warmth radiating off Axel was doing nothing to stop him from falling right into the realm of dreams.

"I think…I'm starting to uhm, fall in love with you," Axel said and Roxas felt like everything else just fell away, leaving him and the redhead simply floating in the air. Had Axel really just said that?

"Y-you are?" Roxas asked quietly and he felt Axel nod.

"Yes. Roxas, there is no way I couldn't. You're the most accepting person I've ever met, you still manage to remain so kind and caring no matter what happens to you, you're willing to try anything new and you're just…I mean, you've been through so much yet you still kept your faith in God, you were brave enough to go against your father and be with me. You are just perfect, there isn't a person alive that could not fall in love with you," Roxas blushed even deeper if that was possible and pulled away slightly to look at Axel, he smiled and couldn't find it in him to stop himself from leaning down and kissing Axel. His small hands cupped the punk's face, pressing their faces closer together, their lips moving in a soft, gentle rhythm.

When he pulled away, he felt complete, as if everything in his entire life had fallen into place and he would have nothing to worry about ever again. Of course, he knew that was a silly idea, there would always be something to worry about but he felt that, if Axel loved him then it really didn't matter.

He could handle almost anything and with a bright smile, even in the complete darkness it was visible, he replied.

"I'm starting to fall for you too."

* * *

**A/N: **Awww, cutsie cutsie.  
Too bad it won't last...  
Ehem...Moving on...

Is there anyone that would like me to write a little side story about what Sora and Riku were doing in the previous chapter?  
If so, feel free to say so 8D

Anyway, thank you all who are reading this, and especially to those who review.  
It means a lot to me (:


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**  
_Fear_

Exam Week at Lawrence Heights was a rather important time. The usually loud, rambunctious students that cluttered the halls were now quietly seated along the walls, books, textbooks and binders strewn all around them as they read and studied with their respected groups. Roxas was amazed at the silence in the hallways, the only thing that could be heard was the flipping of pages and the occasional groan of a tired student, complaining about too much things they had to memorize. Roxas was nervous to say the least, the previous night he had stayed up into the early hours of the morning studying with his mother and Sora for his Biology exam. As he neared his locker, he spotted his group of friends and felt a swell of happiness in his chest.

They were _his _group of friends.

No matter how many times he sat with them, or talked to each of them, he still felt amazed that they had accepted him the way they did; it seemed much too good to be true. He sat down beside Axel once he was close, the punk currently had a math textbook in his lap and was reading over several different rules, while practicing the formulas on a separate sheet of paper. Naminé, like Roxas, had to study for Biology.

Each teen looked up to acknowledge Roxas, tired smiles and half waves went all around, Roxas sending his own groggy smile as he pulled out his textbook and binder. The Biology3U teacher was in love with notes, very long notes, and his binder was thicker than three bibles stacked on top of one another. His eyes were already burning and he hadn't even started to read anything yet.

"I'm going to die!" Naminé groaned, smacking her forehead against Marluxia's arm, the pink haired boy pulled her against his side, pressing a kiss against the crown of her head. Even Demyx's hair seemed demoralized, drooping down over his eyes instead of being spiked up high. Zexion was the only one in the group who appeared to have gotten a good nights rest and was the least stressed.

"Zexion, you bastard!" Marluxia hissed, glaring daggers at the blue haired boy who simply grinned at him.

Roxas peered over his boyfriend's head, curious as to why Zexion wasn't worried about his exams. Zexion caught him looking and smiled, "You are all a bunch of procrastinators, leaving all your studying for the morning before exams. You all should have studied many days in advance," Roxas blushed, he had been so preoccupied with Axel these past weeks that he really had not been doing much schoolwork or studying. Sure, he finished his homework, he always did, but that was it. He didn't read it over or make notes like those that he used to when he was locked away in his room.

Larxene suddenly stood, announcing that it was time she headed downstairs for her English exam, everyone waved her off and wished her luck. She smirked just before disappearing down the stairwell, everyone heard her shout back that she didn't need luck because she had it in the bag. Roxas laughed softly, and even if she didn't need luck, he asked God to lend her a helping hand.

Demyx and Zexion stood too, saying, just like Larxene, that it was time for them to leave. Their departure was a lot like Larxene's, everyone wishing them luck and Demyx saying he needed luck more then anything else right now, Zexion laughing at his boyfriend's disgruntled appearance.

"Axel and I should head upstairs now too…the bell's about to ring," Marluxia said after a while, pecking Naminé before raising to his feet and kicking Axel's leg, pulling the boy from his studying trance. Axel blinked a few times, coming back to the world of the living and spotted Roxas for the first time.

"Roxy!" He smiled brightly, though the dark rings under his eyes took away from his usually cheerful face. Roxas smiled back, just before Axel caught his lips in a soft kiss. Roxas blushed furiously; Axel had never kissed him out in the open before, at school especially.

"Alright, alright, come on Axel," The redhead smiled sheepishly over his shoulder at Marluxia, who was standing not to far from them, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently, though he was smiling at them like he didn't really mind.

"I'll meet you out back after the exam?" Axel said smiling hopefully and Roxas nodded his head, wishing them luck. Marluxia grabbed Axel's sleeve, both teens quickly disappeared into the stairwell, and up towards their math class, Roxas decided he had had enough cramming and closed his binder, sliding closer to a frayed looking Naminé.

"Are you ready for the exam?" he asked softly and the girl tossed her head back, hitting it against the lockers and looking at him in distress.

"No! I haven't studied anything…I'm going to fail," she tangled her fingers in her blonde hair and tugged, Roxas winced before grabbing her hands and gently pulling them out of her hair. He sent her a reassuring smile when she frowned at him.

"No way, you know all the course material…you just have to review. There's at least 10 minutes left, here…I'll help," Roxas picked up his binder and flipped to where the important notes began, passing the lab safety work sheets and the microscope how-to guides the teacher had given him when he had first arrived. Naminé smiled at him, sitting up straighter and looking down at his notes.

"Thank you so much!" she said happily and Roxas shook his head, telling her it was no trouble at all, he loved being able to help his friends. "Maybe we should have studied at the sleep over."

Roxas laughed at that, nodding his head in agreement. If they would have than maybe they wouldn't be this stressed right now, but it was too late for should have's and it was time for studying.

"Well, let's see how much we can jam into our brains before the test starts," Naminé said, and began reading off the notes, asking Roxas to explain things she didn't understand and Roxas in turn asked her questions about certain things.

By the time the bell rang, they both felt a little better but the pre-exam jitters were still present.

Roxas walked out of his biology exam, feeling relief wash over him because he had known almost everything on the entire test. The Scantron sheet, he was sure, was all correct along with many of the short answers. There were very few things he had trouble remembering. Naminé was still in the exam room but he knew she was simply being a perfectionist and reading over everything at least five times, just in case.

The hallways were empty, safe for a few teachers monitoring and making sure all the students left the school grounds once they finished. Roxas waved as he passed his Math teacher, the man nodding his head in acknowledgement before turning and heading down to the far end, leaving Roxas completely alone.

The sudden lack of people made him uncomfortable, a heavy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach as his skin prickled, almost as if someone was watching him, their eyes irritating his skin and making it rise in gooseflesh. Hastily, he pulled open his locker door and pulled out the textbook he would need for tomorrow's exam. The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he looked up, eyes wide and more than likely filled with terror. He had no idea why he was feeling so afraid; his body was just sending him signals, telling him that he needed to be alert.

It all proved to be worth the worry because walking towards him was Vexen, the boy's eerily pale skin, seemed even paler and Roxas had to fight against his own legs, stopping them from giving out under him. He hadn't seen Vexen since the fight with Axel, and he hadn't spoken to him since that incident behind the school and that had been near the beginning of January. They were now near February. Roxas had been sure he would never deal with Vexen again, he had even prayed to God, asking him to keep Vexen away.

"All done with your exam, Roxas?" Vexen asked when he was close enough and Roxas shut his locker quickly, backing away slowly and nodding his head, not trusting his voice just yet. His heart was pounding; he could feel the pace of his pulse in his temples.

_Thudthud thudthud thudthud thudthud, _he was sure he was about to have a heart attack.

There was something off about Vexen, Roxas had barley noticed it in the very beginning though he had always known there was something strange about the boy, but it had been hidden, concealed very well, but now, it was clear in the boy's gaze. His mind had clearly slipped. Roxas tried not to blame religion, he really did, but something told him that when people obsessed over something, nothing good could come from it.

There was faith, then there was obsession.

"Y-yes, I was just…leaving," Roxas said quietly, his eyes darting around the hallway only to find that it was still completely deserted. He swallowed around a lump that had accumulated in his throat, it felt like it was his heart, pulsing feverishly, crushing his esophagus.

"Oh, well then…I won't keep you, I just have a small message. I'm a few weeks late, but your father says hello," Vexen smiled and it made Roxas' skin crawl, it made the small blonde want to cower away in fear. He smiled, as best as he could but said nothing and instead turned quickly, going only as fast as his feet could carry him. Just as he went to push open the door and disappear into the stairwell, Vexen spoke.

"He said he'd be seeing you soon."

Roxas almost fainted as he shoved his way outside violently, almost tumbling down the stairs as he went down two at a time, running once he was out of the stairwell and going directly towards the parking lot. His skin still felt icy cold and his hands were shaking when he ran into Axel at the back door.

"Whoa Rox, slow down," Axel said smiling, hugging the small boy around the waist. Roxas gripped Axel's cool, leather jacket tightly, tugging the boy against him and nuzzling his face into his chest. His heart was still pounding as he tried to push Vexen's words into the back of his mind.

His father had probably already seen him at mass; he probably meant that he was expecting to see him there again this Saturday…that was it, nothing more.

His father couldn't hurt him anymore…Roxas had Axel, his mother and Sora…He was safe.

"Roxas…You look like you've seen a ghost, are you alright?" Axel's worried gaze warmed Roxas' heart and he smiled a little shakily before nodding.

"I'm fine…let's go," he wanted to leave the school as quickly as possible, and he tugged Axel towards the car, making the redhead laugh.

"I dislike school was much as the next guy Rox, but I think you take the cake," Axel grinned and Roxas just laughed a little nervously, climbing into the car and slamming the door shut as Axel joined him. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the second floor windows, his heart had slowed back to normal, but there was this heavy, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach again.

By the end of the week, which in their case was Thursday, Roxas had forgotten about his encounter with Vexen and hadn't had any others, for which he was grateful. It was their final exam and the entire student body at Lawrence Heights was ready for a nice long bath, well that, or burning all the evidence of their first semester classes. Axel seemed more inclined to do the latter, Roxas barley managing to stop him before their final exam took place.

"I'm so glad it's all over soon," Axel said as they all stood around in a small group, the last exam was the easiest for everyone, so the stress they all felt on Monday was long gone by Thursday. Roxas nodded in agreement, resting his head against Axel's chest. The night before, he had gotten plenty of help from Riku, who had apparently majored in World History and loved to talk about it for hours. Roxas felt that he knew everything he could possibly know and then some.

Their group of friends was much smaller than previous days, mostly because Marluxia, Larxene and Demyx had gym as their last period class and that required no exam. Zexion stood quietly reviewing his English novel and Naminé was flipping through a few print outs of paintings she had to memorize for her Art Exam. This left Roxas and Axel alone and with enough time to simply talk about anything they pleased.

"So, after your exam we're going to meet at the same place?" Axel asked and Roxas nodded his head before pulling away.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," he said, finding that he needed to use the bathroom quite badly, even if he didn't like the emptiness in the halls, it would be better to go now, than having to hold it through the entire two hour exam.

The second floor hallway was a lot emptier than it had been in the beginning of the week, and Roxas had a growing feeling of dread in his stomach though he couldn't quite figure out why. He hadn't run into Vexen at all, and clearly the boy was only trying to scare him, trying to get back at him for what Axel had done, or at least, Roxas hoped it was because of that. The darkened hallways did seem rather frightening though, but that could not explain why his skin felt prickly…almost as if he was being watched. Shaking it off, Roxas decided to blame it on all the horror movies he'd watched with Axel over the weekend and made a mental note to cut down on those films, they were feeding his imagination too much. He hurried into the bathroom, finding it completely empty, his throat suddenly very dry as he walked towards a stall in the back, he felt like he had a sink hole in his stomach.

Once he was in the stall, he locked the door, his fingers trembling something awful. The heavy feeling in his stomach that had been there when he ran into Vexen was back, and he found it was hard to breathe. He turned, cautious and uneasy to have his back to the door but he had no other choice, and he much rather be in a stall to relieve himself than out in the open using one of the urinals. He had never been too comfortable using one of those, he felt it gave you no privacy at all.

Just as he was about to flush he heard the front door open and his pulse jumped, he swallowed thickly and shook his head. He was being silly, why was he so scared anyway? Vexen probably wasn't even at school.

Quickly exiting the stall, he made a mad dash for the sinks. Even if his fear was irrational, he still felt it and wanted nothing more than to leave the bathroom and go regroup with his friends, to be surrounded with people.

His skin prickled again, that icy finger trailing down his spine and making him shiver as he washed his hands, scrubbing quickly and even leaving a few suds in his haste. Looking up into the mirror a scream bubbled in his throat and he jumped, his heart racing and pounding so furiously he felt it in his throat.

Vexen was standing right behind him, simply _watching_ him.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," the pale blonde said, shifting to the side as Roxas moved to dry his shaking hands, he wanted to run out of the bathroom but Vexen was in the way, blocking his only exit.

"I-it's alright," Roxas stuttered, his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth and he found it was increasingly getting harder to breathe.

"I had to speak with you, but of course I couldn't do so around your…_friends_," The tone Vexen used bothered Roxas, it made a red light go off in his head, all of his senses heightened as his body felt endangered. The frightened teen tried to hide his shaking hands, tried to still them but he caught Vexen watching them, eyeing them as they trembled under the artificial heat. He felt much more afraid, cornered in the bathroom, than he had in the open hallway on Monday.

"I haven't seen your father at mass since he gave me that message for you…It's been a few weeks and it's so strange Roxas…he's usually there everyday," Vexen continued in such a casual tone, though there was something hidden in his voice, something laying buried deep in his throat and Roxas simply couldn't pick it up. So instead, he turned away from the dryer and tried to look at Vexen without trembling like a leaf. "I thought now was a good time to express my concern, seeing as on Monday you were in such a hurry."

"H-he's probably a-away on business," Roxas said, trying with all his might to keep his traitorous voice from shaking but it did and Roxas prayed silently in his head, he pleaded that God would protect him because he just didn't feel safe in this boy's presence.

"Maybe…or maybe he's locked himself away in shame. Everyone at church is talking about how his son appeared at mass with…a very interesting character. I took the liberty of telling them it was Mr. Baine's son's boyfriend," Vexen's smile was venomous and Roxas felt his airway closing, but not in the pleasant way it did when Axel stole his breath, no, this hurt, it made his throat feel raw with every breath. "You should have seen your father's face," Vexen continued, advancing on Roxas until the boy's lower back was pressed firmly against the sinks. His breaths were coming out in short, quickened little pants, he just couldn't fill his lungs with enough oxygen.

"W-why?" was all Roxas could utter, his dry mouth and constricted throat wouldn't allow any more words to pass his lips. Vexen simply smiled; again, it chilled Roxas to the very bone.

"Simply because," Vexen answered and Roxas could hear the deep hate in the boy's voice, and he trembled harshly with fear as a pale, skeletal hand cupped his cheek, the frozen fingers curling and holding Roxas' face, making the boy stare up at Vexen. "Because your soul is much too beautiful to let go to waste…your father is the only one who can save you…you must repent and be saved."

Vexen's eyes flashed angrily and his hand slid until it was around Roxas' neck, squeezing and making the smaller blonde wheeze, if it was hard to breathe before, now it was almost impossible. Roxas' hand went automatically to the one hand around his throat and he pressed his nails into the cold flesh, trying with all his might to pry it away, to stop it from choking him.

"You will repent Roxas…He'll make sure of it," and just like that Vexen released him and left the bathroom, leaving Roxas coughing and gasping for air. The tiny blonde's entire frame shook and he realized he was sobbing

He heard the door open and he quickly tired to run towards the stalls, but the sound of heavy leather boots and chains greeted his ears and made his heart jump. Axel spotted him at the sinks quickly and raced over, cupping his face and staring at him with worry.

"Roxas, what the hell happened?" Axel's eyes were scanning the boy's face, looking for blood or anything that could explain why his boyfriend was crying but he found nothing. Instead, Roxas wrapped his arms around his waist tightly and buried his face into his chest. Roxas took deep breaths, letting Axel's scent fill his lungs and tried to clear his mind, tried to stop the frantic beating of his heart and the seemingly never ending flow of tears.

"Roxas, answer me…why are you crying?" Axel tried to pry the tiny boy off him, but Roxas simply grabbed on tighter, refusing the let Axel pull away. He was torn between telling Axel and not telling him. If he told Axel, the boy would certainly go after Vexen, but if he didn't tell Axel, how else would he explain his tears? Would Axel simply accept Roxas telling him he didn't want to talk about it?

"I-I don't know," Roxas mumbled into Axel's shirt, his tears slowly ebbing away and he felt Axel shake his head and before he could adjust his grip, the punk pulled him away and held him at arm's length.

"What do you mean you don't know? Come on Roxas…" before the blonde could answer him though, the bell rang and signled the beginning of their exam. Axel swore, cursing everyone and their mother before looking at Roxas and squeezing his shoulders.

"After the exam is finished, you are going to tell me why you were crying. Don't you dare lie to me Roxas…okay?" Axel's eyes softened slightly and Roxas bit his lip nodding, though he wasn't sure if he would actually be able to tell Axel.

As they left the bathroom, Roxas couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible was about to happen.

What made it worse was that he didn't know what or even when to expect it.

All he could do was pray that God would protect him.

* * *

**A/N:** I think updates are going to come faster now, so yay for me right? You guys will love me right?.  
These coming chapters are all in my head...and I think, if you take a nice hard wiff you can all smell the impending doom.  
Don't kill me!

-does a mad dash into the darkness-


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**  
_The Church_

Roxas walked out of the exam room and into the deserted halls, the silence bouncing around the empty space chilled him to the core and made him shiver as he headed quickly to his locker, forcing his legs to take him faster than they were comfortable with. He was lucky to have his locker only a few paces away from his World history class. He pulled the locker open with one harsh tug once he reached it, though he wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, the locker was completely empty, just like the hallways.

_Vexen could be around_, he thought, immediately hating himself for thinking that way, the very idea made his skin crawl and his stomach flip with anxiety and fear. Slamming the door to his locker, he quickly made his way towards the stairwell, not wanting to dwell in the hallways any longer like a sitting duck and simply wanting to go home and be safe, with his mother and Sora, locked away in his apartment…At least until second semester started and he had come back to school. He hated living with this dread, this fear growing in his middle like an ulcer and simply eating a hole right through his stomach lining, he wished Vexen would have never approached him, he wished none of this had ever happened.

Everything had been going so well for him, why did his father always have to ruin everything?

Roxas was sure whatever Vexen had been referring to had to do with his father, he did say that his father was the only one that could save him and that, if anything, meant that if there was danger (which Roxas was positive there was); of course his father would be the one threatening his life. Roxas groaned, pushing open one of the large doors that lead to the parking lot, trying to will the thought of his life being in danger out of his mind, and to his dismay found that it was empty, not one student in the entire lot. That only meant that Axel had not yet finished his exam (the boy would obviously already be standing here, having his stress-relieving cigarette), which also meant that Roxas would have to stand there and wait for however long it would take the red head to finish…he'd have to stand there…alone.

The small-frightened teenager wrapped his arms around himself, hugging tightly and trying to stop his body's shivering, something told him it wasn't from the chilly air, something deep within him, his gut, was telling him to be alert and focused on his surroundings because he wasn't safe.

Straining his ears to hear something, he found with a sinking feeling that there was _nothing_ to be heard, nothing but the cawing of a crow that had landed on a bare tree branch near-by and was watching him with its piercing ebony eyes. It was watching him as his breath escaped in small white clouds, watching as if it had come to deliver a devastating message. Roxas tried not to stare at the black bird, perched now even closer to him, when it had moved or how it had without him noticing was a mystery. It seemed to be advancing, getting as close as possible without actually flying at him and landing at his feet. He had heard somewhere that crows were bad omens, and that knowledge did nothing to sooth his raging fear. He bit his lip, eyes darting around the parking lot one last time before deciding that he would head back inside and walk around the main office, where the nice, blonde secretary was, where the principal surely sat in her office. With safety in mind, he began to walk, heading around the corner to the front doors of the school, seeing as every other door locked once it was shut. With his eyes scanning everything they could reach, he tried to quickly make his way out of the lot.

His eyes were pulled towards a sleek, two-door, black car with tinted windows parked right at the entrance of the school at an off angle. The parking lot was, to his growing terror, completely deserted except for that one car. Roxas' heart began to pick up speed, the fear pumping blood quickly threw him, trying to get enough oxygen to every limb so that if he'd have to run, he'd be ready. The boy's muscles felt tense as if his body was telling him to go no further, yet he forced himself forward, trying to ignore the feeling that there was someone watching him. Recently he had felt like that too often, it was not a pleasant feeling and try as he might, he just couldn't brush it off.

It was as if the crow's dark, emotionless eyes weren't the only ones following his every movement and that filled him with a greater sense of dread than he had ever felt in his entire life. This was a considerable feat, seeing as he had lived most of his life dreading the arrival of his father, dreading every waking moment, that was, until he had arrived at Lawrence Heights.

Gripping the handle of his messenger bag he picked up his pace, lengthening his strides only to have his steps falter as a door of the sleek car shot open. A tall, broad shouldered man bolted out, his father's head snapped in his direction, his blue, steely eyes so clear, so filled with malice, that even from the distance, Roxas could see it as if they were face to face. Roxas could see the empty gaze as it burned into his very being, condemning him, sending him straight into the very pits of hell with just that simple look.

He realized he had screamed a few minutes after the actual sound left his throat and his legs, almost by their own accord, began to move, pulling him away from the school's entrance and his father, trying to take him to the main road, which seemed to far and out of reach. He couldn't recall when in his life he had ever ran as fast as he was now, but that was the last thing on his mind, the first and foremost was getting away from the blonde man.

There was something different, something more menacing about the way he looked at Roxas. The man's eyes seemed to say only one thing, a word that made Roxas feel like he had ingested an entire brick of lead in one sitting. The word made his skin feel like ice…His father's eyes screamed death.

When he hit the pavement and tumbled, scrapping the palms of his hands harshly, he cursed himself for always being so clumsy, he cursed himself for forgetting that his father, even in his senior years, would always be quicker, more agile. His father had miraculously (or not, considering the physical state of the man) caught up with the sprinting boy, had tackled him into the cement and was sitting on his lower back, tangling his fingers in the boy's blonde hair. The burning sensation on Roxas' scalp was familiar yet so foreign it felt from a completely different lifetime, as his father yanked his head back.

"You thought you could get away from me Roxas? Away from the Lord?" the man hissed, getting off the boy and tugging him to his feet. Roxas' eyes began tearing at the scorching pain seeping into his skull with every harsh tug his father gave his hair. "I am going to take you and save your soul Roxas, because the Lord has told me to do so, he told me I must save you for I am the only one who can, the one chosen for it." The man had completely lost his mind and Roxas felt a sob clawing its way up his throat, his voice box trembling with the force he was using to keep the cry in place, his mind screaming at him to run, to do _something_.

He tried, throwing his arm back, to elbow his father in the stomach but when he missed, as he knew he would, he took to thrashing his body around. He opened his mouth to scream as loud as he could for someone to save him (though a small part of him knew that no one would hear, there was no one around), desperate and clawing for any sort of salvation seeing as his thrashing had done nothing but anger and annoy his father. However, his attempt was blocked by the man's large, calloused hand, gripping his face firmly and digging short, stubby nails into his cheeks. The man twisted the blonde's head around, making the boy's slender neck crack and even then, he pushed it, forcing Roxas' chin back and towards his chest.

The teenager was dragged towards the car in that very position, Roxas not being able to move unless he wanted his neck broken but he tried other things, kicking his legs, or flailing his arms, it all proved useless though. He thought angrily, how horribly weak he was, how utterly pathetic he was for not being able to at least fight the man off. He tried kicking his legs as he was forced into the back seat, but only ended up being shoved violently through the driver's door and once he was lying in the seat, face pressed firmly against the leather, his father climbed in and slammed the door. The man turned quickly, not even giving Roxas the chance to sit before he was winding a thick, rough rope around the boy's wrists, tying it much too tightly and making Roxas whimper as it dug into his skin with it's itchy, prickly fibers. Deeming the knot tight enough so that Roxas would have no possible way of tugging it loose and freeing his arms, he turned in his seat and twisted the key that had been left in the ignition, for a speedy get-away no doubt and the car silently came to life.

"The lord has given me a command I must obey," his father was muttering to himself as he pulled hastily out of the parking lot of the school and Roxas could not find it in himself to move. He had wasted most of his energy thrashing, kicking and fighting against his father's hold as best as he could. He had always been rather weak, he had no idea what even gave him the slightest hope that he would have been able to fight against a retired _army_ general.

He didn't dare look up from his spot as the car moved, leaving the school behind. Instead, he kept his face pressed into the cold leather, inhaling the scent and thinking, with his eyes firmly shut, of Axel. The smell of leather reminded him of the punk, there was really no surprise there though. Axel had probably finished his exam and was standing out in the back of the school with a cigarette between his lips, waiting for Roxas, one hand squeezed into his pocket to keep it from freezing. He felt hot tears leak out of his eyes because he was afraid, because he didn't know what to expect from his father, because he had the feeling that he would never see Axel again.

Roxas could feel the speed of the car, or at least he thought he could, and judging by what he felt, either they were on the highway already or his father was simply speeding and throwing any traffic laws to the wind. But, Roxas knew better than that, his father wasn't an idiot, therefore he would obey the traffic laws, if only to avoid being stopped by a police cruiser and having them find the blonde, sobbing and bound in his back seat. Also, his school was relatively close to the highway, not even a 5-minute drive if the traffic was favorable, he thought absent mindedly.

They drove for what felt like hours and finally the car pulled to a stop. Roxas was finding it increasingly hard to ignore the throbbing ache in his lower back from being in such a strange position for who knows how long, and when his father turned around, he cringed away only to be caught by the hair and forced into a seated position. Before he had a chance to look around, to take in any of his surroundings, a thick, black piece of rough fabric was wrapped over his eyes and tied tightly, tangling with some of his hairs and he heard them snapping as his father secured the blind fold in place, again tying it much too tight.

"If you do anything…I will kill you when I get my hands on you," his father hissed crossly, pushing Roxas' face into the cold, damp leather. It was damp from the boy's never-ending tear flow, for almost the entire ride he had been crying, only lucky enough to have stopped a few minutes before his father tied the blindfold on him, giving his cheeks time to dry and erase any evidence that the tears ever existed in the first place.

It had saved him from a beating, or a hard punch to the face, he was sure of it.

Roxas heard the driver's door open and slam shut, then the car was engulfed in silence. He could hear the faint sounds of a few people speaking, not too far from him but the sounds of their voices grew quieter and quieter and he assumed they were walking away. His heart sank but it wasn't as if he would have tried anything or like he could anyway. His hands were tied, he was blindfolded and there was just no way he could worm out without being caught by his father.

The minutes ticked by at a tortuous pace and Roxas found that he could not pull his mind away from Axel, his brain flashing images of the tall boy in his mind's eye, making Roxas' heart ache. The poor teenager must have been worried sick about him, surely, he must have gone to Roxas' house by now to see if the boy was home, seeing as he didn't meet with him after Exams as promised…Where he would find Roxas wasn't home and soon enough there would be quite the search party looking for him. Roxas felt a small sliver of hope, his heart ignoring the throbbing pain it was in and beat quickly against his ribcage as his brain flashed more pictures, faster and faster.

Pictures of his mother, worried sick and immediately knowing who had taken her son, Sora, probably already leaving the apartment, tugging his jacket on harshly and storming out of the apartment to turn the very city inside out. Hadn't Sora said he would never lose Roxas again? Surely he would not rest until he found him again.

The tiny sliver of hope grew and Roxas found himself actually believing that he would be found, until his father ripped open the car door and made his way into the car. That tiny sliver shriveled.

So what if they knew who had taken Roxas? Only god knows where his father was taking him, the chances of them finding him were slim. It had taken them so long to find him the first time and something inside Roxas knew his father was planning on them never finding him again.

Roxas could not bring himself to even think of what his father could possibly be planning, he did not even want to imagine it, even for a split second, so he didn't. He pushed the beginnings of that thought into the deepest, darkest corners of his mind, where he had hidden his doubts about God and his hate-filled thoughts towards his father for so many years. He knew, those horrible thoughts, would be safe in there.

The car began to move again and with every minute that passed, ever piece of road they covered, Roxas' hope to ever be found (whatever was left) shrunk more and more until it was a mere speck in the back of his mind. Instead, Roxas took to thinking how he would survive. Surely he wouldn't just let his father…No; he wasn't going to allow himself to have any of those thoughts.

However…it was highly plausible that the man had something gruesome in mind and if that was the case, Roxas needed a way to escape. The hope of being found was replaced with the hope, the burning need to save himself from the hands of this monster, the man he had known was his father but never directly called him so. He would not just lie there, in the back of the car awaiting the unthinkable. Roxas refused to stay like a sheep going to the slaughter, completely _helpless,_ he had been that way far too long with his father. He just needed a good plan.

His mind got to work, thinking of things he could do to save himself, thinking of ways he would be able to escape his father's clutches and run to the nearest police station, run back home to safety if need be.

The most obvious was the not anger the man, to obey him and simply do anything in his power to not get the man angry and push him, make him decide to do whatever it was he was planning, a lot sooner.

The blonde was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice when the car slowed to a complete stop, the sound of tires crushing thick snow falling on deaf ears. Only when his father gripped his collar and gave him a harsh tug, trying to pull him out of the backseat, did Roxas snap back into reality with a startled yelp. Climbing out of the car was proving to be a lot more difficult then one would originally think, but then again people usually didn't have to climb out of cars blind folded and with their hands tied tightly behind their backs. The boy's struggle helped comfort Roxas in the fact that it was now clear that there had been no way of escape at their last stop, it would have been simply impossible to loosen the ropes, remove the blind fold and climb out of the car all in time and without his father finding him, half way through the process. He shuddered at the thought of what his father would have done, had he have caught Roxas trying to loosen the bindings or even attempting to worm his way into the front seats.

Once he stumbled out of the car, he sunk into snow that went well past his shins, almost reaching his knees and he guessed that they were somewhere far away from civilization because all the city streets were constantly being shoveled and covered with that toxic winter salt. He felt his father untying his blindfold and when it fell away, he had to shut his eyes tightly, his shoulders lifting up, because if he had been able to move his arms, he would have shielded his eyes. The sun was shinning brightly down on the pure white snow, the reflection of it enough to temporarily blind Roxas, leaving his eyes stinging as they adjusted slowly.

Looking around, he realized that he had been right. There was not a soul to be seen, in fact there was nothing but bare trees for miles and miles. Nothing but a vast sea of white, untouched snow and millions of dead trees, their branches reaching out to the sky like the hands of the living dead, breaking through the soil and trying to claw their way into heaven. He knew though, that behind his father and him there must have been a small trail or path that had aided the car, but that trail of thought was interrupted when Roxas spotted the small church right ahead of him, slightly higher then the snow, it's stone steps clean and looking recently taken care of. If it weren't for the shattered stain glass windows, some even boarded up with wood, Roxas would have thought this church was still used, then he realized that was a silly thought. Who would come all the way out here, to the middle of nowhere for mass?

Roxas quickly realized, with a dreadful, painful sinking feeling in his stomach, that this was where his father was residing as of late. Vexen had mentioned that the man had stopped attending masses, and Roxas quickly knew that it was because his father had moved out to this small, abandoned church. Why though? Was the question right at the front of Roxas' mind, a question he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to.

The church had a haunting quality to it, the boarded up windows giving it the run-down look found in so many horror movies. The amount of dead trees surrounding it also didn't help the fact much, and Roxas thought that had it been summer, they would be completely hidden from view with the canopy of trees. The walls of the church were white though the paint was chipping away to reveal gray stone underneath, and it had a small spot on the roof where Roxas assumed had held a bell, many, many years ago. He was not quite through looking at the church when his father was dragging him towards it by his hair, making him stumble as he tried to step through the thick snow and ease the searing pain in his head.

"Hurry up," the man growled through clenched teeth and Roxas forced his legs to move faster, though it caused a terrible burning in his thighs, having to lift his legs so high and stretch them so far to match his father's, naturally, much longer strides. Instead of going into the church, as Roxas had assumed they would, they instead went around to the back where there were two, large wooden cellar doors, the pad lock that had been eaten away by rust tossed carelessly to the side and his father released him, only for a moment, to tug the doors open. "Get in," his father demanded and Roxas looked at the man with wide fearful eyes, almost ready to beg him, to plead for the man not to make him climb into the darkness that swallowed everything in the cellar but the man's face alone shut up any protests and Roxas climbed in. Remembering that, to preserve his own life, he would have to do everything his father asked and try not to anger the man.

The trembling teenager descending the stairs quietly, trying hard to stifle any fear-filled sobs as he listened to the wood creak under his feet and taking in the smell of rotting wood and wet stone. It was cold, so cold Roxas could see his breath and when he reached the bottom, he turned and looked up at his father who was still standing at the door.

"P-please…d-don't leave me in here sir," he cried out, craning his neck to try to get a better look of the man's face, but his features were hidden by shadows and Roxas could not make out what he looked like, or how his eyes were staring at him.

"Not until the time comes," his father said, his voice sounding alien and detached. Not having any human qualities at all and it frightened Roxas more than any raised fist ever could.

And just like that, without any explanations his father shut the heavy, wooden doors and left Roxas alone in the dark cellar.

* * *

**A/N:** I've been having a god-awful day.  
Really, I have and it just makes me so angry that people can be so damn inconsiderate and unaccepting.  
The close-mindedness of people...really grinds my nerves down to nothing.

But all you lovely readers and reviewers...you give me hope in humanity.  
You're all such wonderful people and it makes me glad to know that the world's got some people with sense!

Anyway, I'm terribly sorry about my rant.

I hope you guys enjoy the unfolding of doom.

Don't kill me D:  
...I warned you all that the fluff was ending...I really did...

-disappears into the night-


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four  
**_Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned_

Staying completely still was not a very good idea when one was freezing to death, Roxas knew this, and he also knew that he had to maintain his body heat somehow. The cellar wasn't any warmer than the harsh, bitter cold that awaited outside though it did protect him from the biting wind. His only option was to pace, back and forth, over and over, trying to keep some of the warmth inside his body. He also took to rubbing his legs together, flexing his fingers, and even jumping just to keep the blood flowing.

How he wished Axel would burst through the doors, and come bounding down the steps right towards him, to save him and embrace him in his warm, strong arms. It was a far-fetched wish, he knew, yet Roxas could not stop the way his heart pounded every time the wind rattled the cellar doors, nor could he stop the tiny swell of hope within him.

The boy had long ago stopped crying, the tears only froze to his face, making him even colder with the icy paths they left. He wasn't sure how long it had been since his father had tossed him into the damp, freezing cellar but he knew that it had been quite a long time. He had already investigated every corner, using one foot to feel around before every step, as he fumbled in the dark. It was pitch black, which let him know one thing, there were no windows he could try to escape from.

The only area that had even the slightest amount of light was directly at the foot of the stairs. The sunlight shone through the gap in between the doors and illuminated the last stairs and the floor a few inches away from them. Roxas paced around this area, already having dared to venture into the darkness once, and having found nothing, didn't plan on walking around in the dark for no reason. The blackness that surrounded him was frightening to say the least; it made him feel blind and suffocated, as if he were submerged in cold ink. His imagination had taken to creating noises and shapes in the darkness to help him pass the time, though he really could have done without any interference from his mind.

He was terrified, though that didn't quite sound right to him, but it was the only word his half-frozen brain could come up with that even came close to describing what he was feeling. He was terrified of what was to come, yet he knew he would try to face it as bravely as possible. What he was truly afraid of at the moment (besides his father) was the quickly approaching evening. It was probably somewhere around 4 to 5 in the afternoon, he guessed roughly, and the sun had already begun to set. Nightfall would take over this little patch of nowhere and the cellar would soon become darker than an abyss, or a black hole.

The thought of being completely in the dark unsettled him, it made his stomach twist and turn in tight knots of anxiety and his knees felt like jelly. There had been a thought, buried deep in the back of his mind, but now as nighttime approached, he couldn't stop it from forcing its way into his current brainwave.

What if he froze to death during the night?

It was plausible. He was after all, only wearing his winter jacket and a flimsy cardigan, which was definitely not something one could sleep out in the cold in. It wasn't a heavy-duty jacket, like the ones filled with goose-feathers and bear fur or something or another. The boy's jacket had barley kept Roxas warm on his walks to school, how was it supposed to keep him warm once he stopped moving, once he fell asleep?

His slacks were also quite thin, he could feel his thighs burning and with every brush of fabric against his skin, the pain amplified, making him clench his teeth tightly and rub his legs furiously together, trying to create enough heat to keep them from going numb. If he didn't freeze to death, surely his legs would be severely frost-bitten by morning and the pain would be so unbearable he'd probably prefer death anyhow.

He watched the disappearing sunlight with dismay and chattering teeth hidden behind a quivering frown as he fought off tears that threatened to leak out and down his cheeks. The warmth they brought was pleasant, if only for a few brief seconds, but it was hardly worth the harsh sting they left on his cheeks once they cooled down. While he was watching the last of the light disappear, he tried to ignore the way his feet ached along the sides and in the middle of the arch, he ignored the persistent ache in between his shoulder blades, and the burn on his wrists from the constant scraping of the rough, itchy rope. It was hard to ignore how badly he wanted to sit down but he fought off the want and instead tore his eyes away from the gap in between the doors (deciding no one was coming to save him) and began his insistent pacing once again.

Roxas was just about to begin pacing away from the light, but was stopped when he heard the doors rattling, much harder than when the wind had been hitting them earlier and when he stopped at the foot of the stairs, looking all the way up, it was just in time to see them fly open. At the opening stood his father, and in the twilight Roxas could see his features clearly, there was no longer that blinding sun to obscure the man's face but Roxas wished there would have been.

His father's face was not what scared him, it was his _eyes_. Roxas had always hated staring directly into them. It made him uncomfortable and more than just a little frightened. He couldn't recall a time in his life when looking into those eyes made him feel protected, instead, whenever he looked into the man's eyes fear would wash over him and his brain would start sending out the tell-tale signals of danger. They held no emotion in them, it was like staring into the eyes of a corpse and that unsettled Roxas more than any words could ever describe. The only time Roxas had ever seen emotion in those eyes had been when his father hit him. Roxas knew that when emotion was present in those empty, ghost eyes, that was when he had to fear for his life most.

Right at that instant though, his father's eyes were void of anything.

To Roxas, it sometimes appeared the man had no soul.

"Get over here," The man barked, his voice loud and booming and it shook Roxas' entire frame as the boy scrambled up the stairs awkwardly, only to be grabbed roughly and tugged out of the cellar.

They began trudging through the snow and towards the abandoned church, Roxas' eyes wide as he looked at everything again. After being in the dark cellar for so long, outside looked almost too bright to him, even if it was twilight and the sun was slowly slipping away to the other side of the world for a few hours, it still hurt his eyes. His father however, gave him absolutely no time to adjust to the new light and went right to dragging him through the snow, ignoring the boy's yelp and hard breathing as Roxas forced his body to keep up.

The stone steps of the church were slippery and Roxas almost fell once, and probably would have (fallen right on his face, too) if his father hadn't been gripping his jacket's lapel so tightly. The man hauled him up from his half-fallen, half-standing position and roughly pushed him the rest of the way. Roxas' feet slipping and sliding on the smooth stone until they reached the inside of the church.

It smelled faintly of mildew and candle wax but it was warm. The pews inside the church were all stacked against the wall to the far left. Or well, stacked was one way of putting it, in reality they were just clumped together, appearing as if someone had just pushed all of them out of the way at once, instead of carefully positioning them one by one. The floor was carpeted, or at least the entrance was and it made a strange _'squelch'_sound when Roxas stepped on it, water rising around the soles of his boots. Looking around he found that the warmth was due to a series of camping heaters set around the church's small nave. When he was inside far enough, his father slammed the heavy doors, the sound echoing eerily through out the old building. There was a slight breeze sneaking its way in by way of the only broken window that was not yet boarded up and Roxas knew deep down, that his father would be boarding it up soon, because the man planned to stay for a while.

"Come now, it's time for confession," his father said calmly and gripped the boy's bicep none too gently and tugged him towards the alter. The alter gave Roxas a twisting feeling in his stomach, as if long ago, when this church was still in use, something horrific had happened on it and he had to tear his eyes away from it. It also did not help to see dark stains that had seeped into the shreds of material still on the marble top.

The words his father had uttered finally registered in his mind and he looked at the man with wide eyes, blinking in confusion as he was tugged up the aisle. When his father released him, he stood stock still, his legs trembling as the man walked in front of him, turning to face Roxas and staring at him with his cold, lifeless eyes. To Roxas' horror, there was now something swirling in the man's eyes and he begged, pleaded with God to save him from any savage beatings his father was planning to give him. Roxas knew that before, when they had lived in the city together, his father had restrained from hitting him as much as he wanted because Roxas went to school, the man would have never wanted anyone to find out what occurred at home.

What his father wanted him to confess about though, was what frightened the boy gravely. Roxas hadn't confessed since his mother had appeared and saved him. He knew in his heart that what he had to confess at this moment was absolutely _nothing_because he hadn't done anything wrong. In his mind, however, he knew that everything he had done since moving out was wrong in the eyes of his father. He'd have to tell the man everything and that is why he was so terrified. Once his father heard what Roxas had done with Axel, he was sure to kill the boy and Roxas knew this. The blonde swallowed thickly and stared as his father regarded him with those dull eyes.

"What is the first thing you say at confession?" his father hissed, already his temper was flaring up; Roxas knew he didn't stand a chance. The boy's eyes caught movement at his father's sides and saw that the man was clenching and unclenching his fists.

Blinking away tears of fear and fighting against a tremor that threatened to rock his entire frame, Roxas spoke the lines that had been programmed into him all those years ago in catechism class, every Sunday before his communion. "Forgive me father, for I have sinned," the boy's voice shook fiercely and his father's eyes flashed.

Roxas brain was scrambling, searching for some sort of lie he could tell, a confession he could say that wouldn't anger his father. The boy tried to ignore the sinking feeling that told him it was useless. The man would be angered no matter what Roxas said, and he knew this.

The once small voice (which had progressively gotten stronger since leaving his father) spoke out in his mind, telling him that, sure, his father would be angry no matter what Roxas said, but there were different levels to that rage. If he were to be truthful, it would, without a doubt get him beaten to the brink of death. The voice suggested telling a few lies to preserve his own life, to lie in this pseudo-confession and simply not tell his father anything. He could repeat something he had told the priest many masses ago, the voice suggested.

The other voice, the voice of his father (which had all but died out) chose to speak, rattling the small boy's brain with its intensity. _The Lord could have saved his life by simply saying he wasn't the son of God when he was presented to Pontius Pilate_, the voice said bitterly.

Roxas shut his eyes tightly, acutely aware of his father watching him as he had his internal debate.

_I am not the Lord_, the boy thought angrily, shutting the voice of his father out and deciding he would lie to the man. His father wasn't even a priest, he had no power over curing Roxas of his sins nor was Roxas obligated to tell him them. If he lived through this, if he somehow managed to escape, he would confess to a real priest about what he did in the small abandoned church.

Roxas' arms jerked as he went to begin his confession with the sign of the cross only to be reminded that his arms were still tied behind his back. His father seemed to have just remembered it also and turned the boy around. Roxas' ears perked up at the sound of a blade being unsheathed and his heart raced. His father had a knife; probably one from the years he spent in the army, and he had it with him. All his worries were forgotten when the felt the rope fall away and circulation surge into his hands all at once. He flexed his fingers, bringing them to his face and staring at them as if they were long lost friends.

Quickly, he did the sign of the cross, continuing the ritual, or procedure of confession, "In the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. It has been four weeks since my last confession." He looked up into his father's face to see the man watching him, cold and calculating. Roxas' felt his stomach contracting, pushing bile into his esophagus and tinting the back of his tongue with the bitter taste of fear.

He knew that now was the time to confess his sins, he knew now was where he'd tell his father everything wrong he's done and he braced himself for what was to come. Licking at his dry lips he stared at his father, not directly into his eyes but close, and began to speak. "I have lied and been envious towards others," Roxas noticed how badly his hands were shaking; he noticed how his father was watching him and felt paranoia slowly seep into him. Did his father know he was lying? He couldn't tell because the man's eyes were still empty, though there was something in his father's face, something the boy couldn't quite place.

"And I have missed mass…I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life." Roxas closed his eyes and bowed his head, acting as if he was truly sorry for the things he had done. He did feel sorry for lying in the house of the lord, yet he knew he had to, it wasn't his choice.

"Are you lying to me Roxas?" His father's voice sounded too loud for the small church, sounded too harsh to be spoken in such a peaceful place. The boy looked up quickly, perhaps too quickly, and stared at his father with rounded eyes. Already there was a vein pulsing angrily by the man's temple as he worked his jaw back and forth. With one look at his face, Roxas knew the man had not believed a word he had said.

Before Roxas could say anything he was being lifted from the ground by his jacket, the tips of his shoes barely brushing the floor as he gasped in fright, his hands automatically going to where his father's were holding him. The man gave him a rough shake as he pulled the boy close to his face. The sound the man was making reminded Roxas of a bull, or a very large animal before it charged.

"Recite the Act Of Contrition," the man said angrily and Roxas nodded, swallowing thickly and trying to moisten his lips to be able to force the words out of his throat.

"O' my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell." Roxas felt tears welling in his eyes, the Act of Contrition was what his father lived by, what he wanted Roxas to live by. Everything recited in this small prayer of forgiveness was what had been tattooed deep into the boy's brain tissue. "But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen." Roxas was straining to keep the fear-filled tears in place and his father was only getting angrier and angrier.

"Do you really feel sorry Roxas? For all the sins you've been committing?" His father was now so close Roxas could smell his warm breath, Roxas could feel the way the hot air left condensation on his face and he blinked, squeezing his eyes shut as he nodded his head.

The slap was expected and the way his head spun was also a familiar feeling. His body went off to one side, his father still holding onto his coat with his free hand. Roxas felt the man's grip tighten and before he could try to pull away, he was being shaken and the man was shouting at him.

"Don't you dare lie to me, you abomination! Tell me Roxas, tell me the truth!" The man's voice rang through the church, and when he hit Roxas again, it echoed. This time he released the boy and the small teen stumbled, trying with all his might to regain his footing but his father gave him no time. He was upon him in seconds, fingers tangling in short blonde hair and tugging harshly, the ripping sensation almost making Roxas cry out in pain.

"Your soul is tainted, I can see it!" Roxas wanted to shout that it wasn't, that his soul was clean from any thing that would condemn him to hell but his father seemed against letting the boy speak to defend himself. The slaps turned into punches and Roxas felt his left eye swelling shut, another harsh hit and his nose cracked loudly, pain ripping through the front of his face and branching off all around his head as the blood began to spurt out of his nose. The white hot pain tore at his brain, rattling it against his skull as he fell to the ground. Immediately, his arms flew up to protect his head, cupping it and trying to hide it from his father's angry hits, his knees pulling up to his chest as he tried to cover as much of his body as he could. The kicks still hurt, every hit of his father's boot against his bones made him want to melt away into the ground but all he could do was endure it.

"You lying snake!" his father kept shouting, the man's voice digging into his brain like nails, each being hammered in by a stone mallet and Roxas was sobbing loudly, each cry echoing through out the church and bouncing right back to his ears.

He felt his father's hands in his hair again as the man tugged him off the cold cement floor and Roxas looked at him through a blurry eye, the other already swollen shut and he could hear the sound of his breathing. The air burning as it entered his broken nose and he could taste his blood, still pouring out and into his mouth.

"What things have you been doing with that rat of a human being? What has your mother done to you Roxas! All the work I put into your soul! I will not lose you to Satan, I will not! Your soul is going to be saved, one way or another." The man let go of Roxas, the boy dropped like a ragdoll, everything was sore from various punches and kicks, and every breath felt like he was inhaling fire. He wanted to stop the act all together but knew that was impossible. "The Lord has not put away all your sins." He listened intently to his father's retreating footsteps, listened as the man left to a different area of the church. Where the man went, Roxas was not quite sure, he was in too much pain to look up.

Remembering the state his nose was in, he sat up shakily. Long ago, in a Phys. Ed class, he had watched his gym teacher fix a boy's broken nose. Deciding he'd be able to endure a little more pain, he began crawling, searching for something to repair his nose with.

By the alter he found a long, smooth stick and a heavy rock. He fingered his nose gingerly and felt the direction it was bent towards, knowing it was definitely broken; he braced himself for the pain of straightening it. He put the stick in the nostril, tears streaming down his face as the pain pulsated through him, wrapping his fingers tightly around the rock he held it under the stick and aligned it, making sure the first hit would set his nose straight again. Shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath he brought the rock up, striking the stick and hearing the loud crack as his nose was hit back into place. The stick fell out and he keeled over, his body spasming in pain and he let out a loud, throat burning scream, his body heaved and he felt vomit clawing it's way up his throat.

He emptied the contents of his stomach, which at this point was nothing but water, bile and the blood that had pooled in his mouth. Tears were burning, streaming down his face non-stop and he couldn't stop the way his body was trembling. His entire head felt like it was on fire even down his neck, his nose felt like it had been ripped clear off his face. His breath was heaving as Roxas crawled away from his vomit and towards a heater, he lowered himself, laying on his side and trying to stop the pounding behind his eyelids and in his temples.

The blood from his nose was slowly drying and more was oozing out and he wanted to wipe it away, he hated having that coppery smell in every inhale but was too afraid to even touch the area around his injured nose. Instead he left it, deciding that he'd clean it after…with snow or something. His swollen eye was hurting, but then again everything else was in pain too, so it was hard to simply pinpoint one area of pain.

His nose however, was what hurt the most. He tried to ignore it and the thought that it might never look the same (if he had re-aligned it wrong), curling up tightly and hugging his legs as he laid there with his good eye shut. He knew this was going to happen, the voice in his head had warned him that it would and even without the voice, he knew it was coming. With his father, these types of things seemed inevitable. Yet the pain was still unexpected and the hurt he felt was also unexpected. He had never once in his life felt what it was like to have a father who loved him, never once had his father showed any concern.

Again his mind was dragged back to Axel, the punk's parents also coming to mind. Roxas remembered a day from when they were still getting to know each other, remembered how Axel had spoken about his father, saying the man was _'cool'_ with the way Axel was, he also remembered that the man had been in the hospital, eyes red with tears and face heavy with stress the day the boy was admitted.

Roxas wondered what it was like to have a father like that, and was surprised with how much it hurt him that he didn't have what the punk had. All Roxas had was his mother and Sora, yet his father seemed hell-bent to rip them away from him.

Roxas decided that if he could straighten his own broken nose, he could escape his father. One way or another.

It was either that…or death.

* * *

**A/N:** I've seen someone straighten their nose like that before, and Jenny gave me a few pointers.  
Fucking brutal, is all I have to say.

Now...before I run off into the night, I just want to Thank _EVERYONE_ again for getting this story to where it is now.  
24 chapters?  
Holy  
Shit.  
With four hundred or so reviews?  
Really, you all spoil me x]

Thank you all so freaking much, honestly.  
You are the greatest.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five  
**_Freedom_

_"Roxas, I love you." Axel's eyes shone happily and the blonde blushed deeply, staring at the punk's face, he ignored the blackness that surrounded them, ignored the constant ringing in the distance and tangled his fingers in fiery red hair. He tugged Axel's face down to his and realized he was sobbing, he felt the salty tears making their way in between Axel's and his lips, he tasted them mingling in their kiss but he ignored everything even the way his body was throbbing in pain. Axel wrapped his strong arms around the boy's thin waist and Roxas shivered, clinging to Axel tighter._

_"You saved me," he breathed, tears still streaming and Axel looked at him, smiling softly, lovingly._

_"Of course," The punk responded and Roxas laughed, caressing the sides of Axel's face and admiring the boy's pale skin._

_Axel's image began to blur and Roxas blinked crazily, grasping at the slowly disappearing boy and he looked around frantically when everything began to blur away into complete blackness. There was a bright light shinning and he narrowed his eyes looking at it, his hand reaching out towards it and he was aware of the floor underneath him...but what was stranger was that he could feel it against his cheek. The feeling of smooth stone pressing against his skin made him blink and the bright light got closer and closer. Once it was right in front of him, Roxas realized that it was like a tunnel, and at the other end was the church and his father..._

Roxas howled in pain as his father's boot came down on his wrist with crushing force as he came back around, having passed out briefly when his head crashed against the alter. The agonizing feeling fired up his arm straight into his brain, making him instinctively yank his hand away, trying to get it out from under the rough, rubber soles but only succeeding in increasing the pressure. The pain was nowhere as intense as when he had broken his nose (What was that, days, weeks, months ago?) and Roxas prayed his wrist wasn't broken because he had no clue how to fix one of those.

He looked up, feeling blood slowly dripping down his chin and his father stared down at him, eyes ablaze like the fires of hell. Roxas felt his insides turn to stone because that look could only mean one thing. The man was still furious with him. With a twist of his foot, Roxas' father pulled the skin of boy's thin wrist with his boot, almost as if he was stubbing out a cigarette. Again, Roxas screamed, choking on tears, mucus and whatever else was dripping into his mouth and throat. He could feel the gash on his forehead, the blood oozing out, working its way down into his eye making it hard to see and his ears were ringing, but he still heard his father grunt as the man squatted beside him.

"Who are you trying to protect?" The man hissed and Roxas shook his head, trying to sit up and scramble away, _trying_ but failing. He was weak, living for God knows how long on nothing but water and the scraps of whatever it was his father decided to feed him. He was sleep deprived, because the man made him read from the bible day and night when he wasn't trying to force a confession out of him and he was injured because of the brutal beatings which seemed to only get worse as the days progressed.

Roxas held strong though, not uttering a single word about what he'd done with Axel, or how he'd felt jealous because of Sora or anything he knew his father wanted to hear. Those were not sins, Roxas was only human and Roxas knew that if he loved Axel, as he truly felt he did, then nothing they did together was wrong, nothing Axel had made him feel tainted his soul.

However, the boy's resolve was weakening. There was only so much pain he could handle; there was only so much of his father's torture he would be able to endure. He was tempted to scream at the top of his lungs everything, tempted to tell his father even what he had eaten on those days as long as everything would stop. He knew though, in a dark corner of his mind that if he were to confess, it would not make anything better. The pain was making him delirious, he reasoned, and that was what kept his mouth shut.

"Tell me Roxas, you're running out of time," His father breathed in his ear, and the boy shivered violently, feeling sweat collecting over his brow as he tried to push himself up, his wrist on fire and his entire body simply burning in pain. His father pushed him down easily and he toppled over, crying out when he landed on his wrist. His breathing was ragged, his face was caked with dirt and he tried to crawl away, weakly tugging his body away from his father but in no clear direction. The man stayed behind for a few seconds, giving the boy hope until his boot pressed into the small of Roxas' back, crushing him into the cold floor.

"Does your soul mean nothing to you?" The man growled, pressing harder and harder and Roxas squirmed, gasping out in pain but not making any other sounds. His throat was raw and the familiar taste of blood was settling on the very last taste buds of his tongue.

"Y-yes," Roxas choked out, and the man removed his foot, kicking him onto his back and Roxas took a huge gulp of air, eyes wide when his father leaned down once again.

"Yes what?"

"I-I do…care," speaking was difficult; he could feel his throat working around every word as he pushed it past his chapped lips.

"Then why don't you want to be pardoned of your sins, and cleanse your soul?" His father looked at him, seeming genuinely confused and Roxas realized it was probably the first innocent, non-malevolent expression he had ever seen on the man's face. Then he realized his father looked insane, not angry or confused, the look he was giving Roxas was a blank one, one only a truly disturbed person could give.

"I've…confessed…all I've…d-done wrong," Roxas was in pain, his stomach felt as if there was a blade being slowly pushed deeper and deeper, twisted in every direction and his head was screaming in agony. He fought against the urge of curling up, like a potato bug and laying there and simply dying.

"Roxas…you're running out of time," Again the man said that, he had said it countless times and Roxas wished he knew just how much time he had left. The man got up and headed towards the area of the church he always disappeared to. A few nights ago, when Roxas had more strength, when his father hadn't beaten him he followed the man quietly, he had followed him all the way down the stairs and into the church's basement. Roxas had stood at the door watching the man as he sat at a table, there were papers scattered everywhere, bibles piled in every corner and cruxifixes hanging on every inch of wall. Roxas felt a powerful shudder at the sight of his father hunched over the desk, writing something and mumbling. What the man was saying, Roxas wasn't sure but he stayed watching him for a long while and the man kept speaking but Roxas didn't know to who. Something inside chilled and he realized it was to God.

Before Roxas' father left he turned and looked at Roxas, and he saw the only thing that could terrify the boy more than the man's eyes.

The man_ smiled_.

"I'll be back Roxas…and now this will all be over. I will free your soul from the confines of that sinner's body and send it back into the grace of God."

The blonde heard the heavy wooden door shut and sat up quickly, regretting it when pain shot up and made him want to curl up but he couldn't. His father was going to kill him! The boy's body trembled as he stood and took an experimental step, his body throbbed in protest, his head pounding when he tried to take another step, he couldn't stop though, no matter how much it hurt. Roxas hunched over, his arm wrapping around his middle and trying to even out his breathing while taking a few more steps. All he had to do was get to the church doors without his father finding him.

The last attempt rang through his mind like a loud warning bell, and he remembered his father finding him, tugging weakly on the heavy doors, his body ached with the memory of how harshly his father had beaten him afterwards. Nevertheless, the boy shook his head, and took another step. It hurt, but his body was slowly getting used to the horrible pain, he was becoming numb and each step became bearable. Maybe it was the knowledge that if he didn't move he would die, that was making him so strong.

He was halfway down the aisle, his heart hammering loudly against his bruised ribs as he stared longingly at the doors. They were so close yet so far. The boy listened intently for any movement coming from downstairs, anything at all that would warn him to his father's arrival but he heard nothing. Taking a deep breath, he hurried his steps, taking longer, quicker strides, gripping his stomach tighter and tighter. He wiped away the blood that was still slowly trickling down his face on the back of his torn cardigan sleeve and ignored the way the once soft material, scrapped against his skin roughly.

Finally he stood just before the heavy doors and stared at them, the dark oak making them seem menacing, making them seem like prison walls. The tears in his eyes began to blur his vision as they leaked down his cheeks; he brushed them away with the back of his hand angirly, tired of crying and then wrapped his fingers around the door's handle. He gave a soft experimental tug and it easier to open than last time, as long as he didn't try to use his hurt wrist. His fingers clenched tighter to the brass handle and he tugged hard, the door coming open and revealing the scenery before him. He hadn't been outside since his father had brought him to the church, so to see the snow that was once up to his knees, all patchy and melting was a surprise.

The sun shone down, the bright light blinding him momentarily and he squinted into it as his eyes adjusted slowly to the drastic change in exposure. The inside of the church had been dark, only light by a few scarce candles and the light that snuck it's way past the heavy wooden planks across the windows giving the entire area a dungeon-like feeling. The boy smiled into the cold, moist air, his heart pounding and the ache in his wrist wasn't as bad under the warm glow of sunlight.

He had been in the church for such a long time, all the layers of snow had already begun to melt, leaving nothing but white chucks and muddy, dead grass. His heart clenched at the sight, and he felt sick to his stomach until he stepped outside and inhaled deeply, taking in what smelt like spring. There was still a cold breeze blowing crazily and Roxas wasn't quite sure what month it was. It could not be later than March…but if it was March, then that meant he had been with his father in the abandoned church for an entire month.

He looked down at his body, and now that he was outside, in clean air, he could smell himself, which disgusted the boy far more than words could describe, he felt his hair matted down to his scalp with sweat, mud and maybe even blood. His clothes, which had once, long ago, looked clean and pressed, were now torn into pieces, his black slacks ragged and sagging off his body. He hadn't gotten a good look at himself in a very long time, always preoccupied with thinking about when his next beating was, or when, if even, he was going to be fed. Now under the bright sun he looked terrible, he lifted his hands to his face and noticed how badly his wrist and fingers were swelling on one hand, on both the nails had dark dirt underneath and his palms looked brown, along with the rest of his once, white flesh. He realized now how truly horrible he looked. The clothes that had once been the right size now appeared to be 10 sizes too big. He feared what he might look like in front of a mirror.

Pushing that thought out of his mind, he looked back and lifted his hand, giving the empty church the finger.

He stumbled down the steps, a smile breaking out across his face at the thought of finally escaping. Sure, all he could see was nothing but trees for what looked like miles and miles but he knew that didn't matter. All that was important now was getting away from the church. He hurried his steps, almost sliding when his feet finally reached the soft earth, mud rising up around his boot and he felt a laugh bubbling in his throat. He was almost free, almost away from his father.

Roxas took a few more steps, the soles of his shoes sticking to the ground and making it a little harder to walk but he didn't care, he kept pushing forward, forcing himself to leave the church as far behind as he possibly could. The further he got, the more he noticed that all the snow wasn't gone yet, there was still quite a lot so his first thought that it was late March seemed less and less accurate. If anything, it appeared to be Late February...But he couldn't tell. He had forgotten what late March even looked like, and one could never trust the weather. For all he knew, it could have been April.

The further he got, the less his injuries hurt and he smiled brightly, stepping out of mud and into ankle deep snow. It didn't matter that he was getting wet, nor that he was slowly becoming colder and colder. The only thing on his mind was freedom.

He was almost running now, kicking snow up in every direction. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he thought that going straight was the best possible route. His legs ached horribly, his headache was still present, making itself known by pulsing painfully and making the back of his eyes sore but he tried to shake it away, tried to take in the delirious feeling of finally being free.

He ran for quite some time until he finally spotted something in the distance. It appeared to be an old path; he could see it underneath the melting snow and stared at it for a few minutes, not believing his luck. "Thank you God, thank you so much," he said almost in tears as he ran towards the thin road and once his feet touched the smooth pathway he felt like he just might faint from sheer happiness. Now he felt he was far enough and he chanced a look back, turning his aching head slowly on an even more injured neck.

To his dismay, he could still see the church in the distance, he could see it perfectly from where he was and he realized that he had not gotten as far as he originally had believed. The thought that it felt much longer than it really was sunk in and he realized that his exhausted body had fooled him, had made him believe that he had covered a lot more ground when really, he was still in the church's line of vision.

Instead of dwelling on it though, he turned and began running again, his feet sliding in the mud. He fell, his wrist taking a lot of the impact, and he bit his bottom lip before a scream could tear its way out of his throat. His body shook and he felt himself just about ready to heave from the pain shooting up his arm, but again, he couldn't simply stay there in the cold mud, his father could come out and find him. His father would kill him.

He pushed himself up and began running again, being mindful of where his steps landed and watching for more soft, muddy earth.

He could barley hear anything other then his harsh panting and the sounds of his feet hitting the ground but when a loud, roaring scream tore through the surrounding forest his eyes widened and it was all he heard. The boy threw a look over his shoulder. Roxas' heart clenched in fear and his throat dried instantly, his breaths rasping out and becoming a million times for painful. His steps faltered and he almost fell again before facing forward and pushing his body, forcing it to run even faster.

Quickly, he decided it would be best not to stay on the main road and he turned, running into the thick Evergreens that surrounded him. He tripped and fell but instead of landing flat on the ground be headed down and realized he had just fallen down a hill. He began rolling down the steep hill and scraping his face, and body against eroded roots, he bumped against rocks and felt the water and mud seeping into his clothes as he rolled quickly. He couldn't stop himself and decided he didn't want to, he was covering more ground this way, so instead of trying to slow down, he simply covered his head with his arms. The battered boy finally came to a crashing halt, coming inches from smashing his face into the ground. Roxas got on all fours and looked around, blinking dirt out of his eyes and taking in the sight of a river, leading far off into the distance. He smiled, looking up at the blue sky that was barely visible because of the millions of branches and pine tree tips overhead. The bright blue peaking through the bare branches that looked like claws reaching for heaven.

"Thank you God," Roxas breathed softly, looking at the river where the thick ice that had probably once covered it was melting. The boy crawled towards the water and looked down at his reflection, though he couldn't really see himself well. Deciding he didn't care for now, he dipped his hands in the ice cold water and splashed some onto his face, hissing when it soaked his face and wet his cuts. It felt refreshing though on his bruised cheek so he did it again, then cupped come into his hands and drank.

It was fresh water and his throat soaked it up greedily. He drank more, filling his stomach with it before standing and feeling slightly better. His body still ached and he knew it would for a while but he needed to get moving. He began walking slowly, finding no need to rush now that he was much further from the church. Something deep within himself told him he was safe, but a dark corner of his mind kept repeating: _"for now."_

**A/N:** He's not out of the woods yet! -is gunned down-  
Ahh, my computer is being stupid, so there might be a few mistakes and such.  
Nowhere near as bad as the first few chapters though xD  
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Thank you all so much!


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six  
**_Almost_

Nightfall was quickly approaching and Roxas had not yet settled in a place, or even found one for that matter. He looked up at the darkening sky with distain, and sighed loudly as he watched the sun slowly sink further and further to the other side of the world.

"Can't you stay up a little longer?" he asked with a pleading tone and the sun almost as if in answer, dipped a few inches lower. The boy pouted and wrapped his arms around himself, because with nightfall came a distinctive nighttime chill. It clung to his clothes and his skin, and the sweat he had worked up was beginning to attract even more of that cold, making it stick to him as if he was covered in double-sided tape.

He surveyed the area around him, he could hear the faint rush of water a few feet ahead and he was not sure if it was a waterfall or rapids. If it were a waterfall, he'd experience many problems getting around that big of a road block, so he prayed to God that it was rapids, it sounded too weak to be a waterfall anyway. Even still, if it _was_ rapids, regardless the size of them, they would be tricky to get around without getting wet, but a little water had never hurt anyone and if it were during the day, he would dry off eventually. The rapids didn't sound too violent or crazy, and he guessed they were fairly small in size.

He was on a little dry patch of land where the river didn't reach, with just enough room left to lay down comfortably without getting wet while he slept. He shivered as he got down onto the ground and looked around. It was going to be dark out soon, and this would be his first night sleeping outside, with no protection or shelter.

He closed his eyes, just realizing how exhausted he was and drifted into half wakefulness. He could still hear the sounds of the water and the forest, the wind picking up and rustling the branches. The sound of a twig snapping brought him to full consciousness and he sat up, looking around frantically with his heart beating in his throat.

Another twig snapped.

He rolled onto all fours, eyes wide as he tried to see into the sudden darkness. Nightfall had arrived without him knowing (had he really slept that long?), and he was engulfed again in that blackness that reminded him so much of the church cellar.

It reminded him _too_ much of the church cellar.

His mind began to panic blindly with thoughts of: _What if his father had gotten him and taken him back to the cellar? _

But then rationality spoke with the harsh snap of a whip, making him release the breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Rationality stated that he would have woken up if his father had picked him up; he was not a heavy sleeper, especially with all that panic disrupting him and not allowing a near-comatose slumber. The other, more chilling truth that rationality brought to light was that, if his father would find him, he would not waste time in dragging him back to the church.

His father would kill him on the spot.

Even though that was true, it did not eliminate the fact that his father could be coming at this very moment, walking towards him and snapping twigs under his heavy rubber soles, the same soles that had crushed his throbbing wrist, the same soles that had kicked him until he threw up. He scrambled to his feet eyes straining to see anything past the clustered tree trunks that were outlined in an eerie blue-silver glow from the moon shining brightly overhead. He could see nothing, no movement and there was no sound. The forest was disturbingly quiet. He cocked his head, pointing his ear in the direction he had heard the twigs but heard nothing but his own heavy breathing and the blood pounding in his head.

Then there was a harsh rustle in the tree tops, the sound of wings fluttering and Roxas barley had time to duck as a night owl flew out of the trees and over his head, chasing after something the boy couldn't see, off into the dark night. He smiled, a crazy laugh escaping his mouth as the almost overwhelming relief washed over him. It was just a bird, nothing more, nothing less.

With that in his mind, he lowered himself to the ground once more, taking note of the way his muscles burned and his bones cracked as he tried to get comfortable on the hard, cold dirt.

Roxas was glad that it was dry dirt and not mud, his feet were already covered in the thick brown substance and it was half way up his calves, he didn't need to be sleeping in it as well. Fighting off a shiver, he folded his arms under his head, creating a makeshift pillow and rested his cheek on the itchy fabric of his tattered cardigan, which had once been a soft material…long ago. He shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath as his pulse slowed to a normal pace, and as sleep crept closer and closer, his breathing slowed as well as his heartbeat. The sounds of the forest that seemingly started up out of nowhere fell upon deaf ears as he surrendered himself to unconsciousness.

When he awoke, it was to warm sunshine bathing his skin and the singing of birds as they began building their nests once again from scratch. He sat up, cringing as his body let him know he had fallen asleep at a strange, uncomfortable angle. His joints hurt and his arms were terribly sore but he stood up, walking towards the water to hydrate himself and moisten his desert dry mouth.

Pealing his tongue off his palette, he dropped to his knees and looked into the clear, running water. He could almost see the bottom of the river, and moving over top was his own reflection. It was distorted and blurry but he could make out that his hair was darker, and sticking down to his head in certain places, there were dark rings under his eyes and his nose…he couldn't pin point the difference, but he knew there was something off about the once, perfectly straight appendage.

Instead of grieving over his nose, he cupped a bit of the freezing water, splashed it on his face, and began scrubbing. He felt the layers of dirt scraping off his skin and winced when he rubbed harshly on a tender spot, or when the water touched the gash on his forehead that had begun to scab over. After he was done, he wet his hair a bit and gagged when his hands came back filthy from simply running through his once, golden tresses. He washed his hands before bringing water up to his lips and drinking it greedily, his burning throat begging for more and he continued drinking until he felt bloated.

He stood, feeling slightly better than before and he surveyed the area once more. He could still hear the rushing water, which let him know the water was safe to drink, or at least as safe as it could be. If this water was still, there would have been many problems, because it was never an option to drink still water without boiling it thoroughly first. He remembered this from a camping trip he went on when he was back at St. Andrew's College, they had taken his class on an over night trip, to show them the beauty and diversity of nature and God's creations. In the process, they taught them things that were safe or poisonous and deadly. Roxas was glad he had paid attention, now he knew he would be able to find something to eat without worrying about being poisoned.

Roxas began to walk, examining bushes but really, they were all just beginning to bud which eliminated his earlier guess that it was late February, it was either late March or early April. In retrospect, that was horrible because he had been away for so long, he had been living with his father and enduring that torture for a good amount of time, but this also meant that there would be more things to eat, things growing back, like the berries up ahead. He rushed towards them, licking his lips and picking one gingerly off the branch.

Some berries, he remembered the Camp guide telling them, will stay good even through winter as long as the temperatures didn't drop below -29 degrees. He pushed that out of his mind, deciding that he didn't care how they stayed good as long as they were there. He popped it into his mouth and relished in the sweet taste. They must have been wild blueberries, and back in the city, he hated blueberries, but in this particular moment in time, he loved them.

He ate until he was full and realized that it happened surprisingly fast and he thought bitterly that his stomach had shrunk. Wiping the fruit juice from the corner of his lips, he stood, feeling even a little better than before. Grabbing a strip from the bottom of his cardigan, he pulled and tore a clean piece off and began placing berries in it. Once it was full, he tied it and placed it carefully in his pocket. He would need something to eat later.

The boy began walking again, looking around the forest and noticing the small buds on every tree, soon the forest would be bustling with life, everything rejuvenated and life would start a new. His heart clenched and he wasn't quite sure why but he thought of Axel. What if the punk had already forgotten him, realizing he was gone forever and moved on? Roxas frowned, his thoughts going to his friends as well. What if they had also given up, realizing his father had taken him and he was probably dead already? He knew his mother and Sora would never give up, or at least while they knew he was alive.

This brought on new determination and he picked up his pace, walking quicker and taking longer strides. If his friends and Axel forgot him…well he didn't care, but he wouldn't force his mother and Sora to suffer.

Rationality again, decided to speak to him and tell him not to get upset, he was not even sure what was happening back at home. He knew deep down that his friends as well as Axel were all suffering greatly, none of them would have forgotten him, even if they thought he was dead. He frowned deeper, and shook his head. Right now, he just needed to get out of this damned forest; he needed to get home before he went crazy.

Just as he had suspected, there were rapids ahead but to his luck they were not anything impossible to get around, in fact he wasn't quite sure if they qualified as rapids per say. There was a thin ledge around made of various rocks, and it thickened again further down into a path, the same path he had been following. He sighed in relief and tossed his head back, looking up into the blue sky and thanking God for finally giving him a break.

The wind was picking up and the springtime chill was everywhere, making him shiver as he got closer and closer to the spray of the water. He knew he was going to get wet, and he was probably going to get sick but he would worry about that later.

Carefully, he climbed a short series of rocks and was finally so close to the rapids, he could smell the sweet scent of the fresh water. The ledge itself was a few feet above the actual water and he sighed in relief as he began walking, being watchful of where he stepped. He might be elevated but that did not mean he couldn't fall. If he were to slip, he'd plummet directly into the rushing water and be killed by the undertow. He could even twist his ankle in one of the gaps between the stones.

The rocks were slippery he realized, when he stepped and his foot slid forward slightly, causing his heart to jump start, beginning to race in his chest as he steadied his foot and tried to calm his breathing which had hitched drastically. He stuck his arms out, looking like a tightrope walker and moved slowly, his muscles straining to keep his feet firmly on every rock he stepped on. He had to pull himself up when they got higher, and he had to climb back down once the rocks leveled out once again.

He decided he needed to stop and sat on a large rock, the sun had changed positions letting him know it had been a while that he had been walking along the ledge. He pulled out his packet of blueberries and began eating them, ignoring the way he could feel his clothes dampening the longer he stayed on the rock. His legs finally had a few minutes to relax and he enjoyed feeling the relief of his muscles not aching or burning. Looking up be decided it was time to start walking again, if he stayed any longer he'd be drenched by the water.

Roxas could see the end of the ledge, where the rocks became land that flattened out and the rapids calmed considerably, and he smiled in sweet relief. He wanted to run, to make a mad dash for the safety that was a few feet away but held himself back, thinking that if he were to rush now, all the careful steps he had taken would be in vain once he slipped and fell.

The rocks were flattening out and becoming more like a path slowly and he lowered his arms, being able to walk without worrying about his balance or twisting his ankle in any gaps. The rocks ended and land began, but it was a few meters higher and Roxas groaned as he got onto his knees and maneuvered himself around till his legs dangled off the edge. He stretched his toes and moaned in pain as the rock's edge dug into his ribcage that was severely bruised. He let go and his body dropped, the boy rolling a few inches and ending on his back, staring up at the sky.

His breathing was heavy and he listened to it as it merged with the sound of the water and he slowly sat up, and hugged his ribs. They ached horribly and he was having trouble breathing but he needed to keep moving. He stood up and looked around. The river seemed to be getting thinner and thinner, almost getting ready to disappear into nothing and he panicked slightly until he looked around. It was an open area he was standing in, the forest was far off on each side and he had never seen anything like it. He began to walk straight, again deciding it would be the best option. He knew the road, if he was even near one would be higher up than he was now because he had rolled down a very steep, long hill when running from the church, which only meant he'd have to climb soon.

The wind in this open area was blowing crazily, ruffling his stiff hair and flimsy, wet clothing, seeping into it and touching his skin with icy fingers and making it stick to him in some places. He shivered and began looking around for a different path, for something that maybe lead upwards. He rubbed at his warms, trying to keep the warmth in them and spotted a small clearing in the trees. He rushed towards it, laughing at the absurdity of finding exactly what he was searching for.

There was a steep hill just a few feet ahead, and he realized he must have been walking along side it the entire time, walking along side the _road_. He dug his nails into the dirt on the side of the hill and began the awkward task of climbing, with his bottom high in the air and using his legs to push himself up. There were eroded roots, which helped him greatly and he had to stop, a few times to catch his breath but in the end he toppled over, out of the pine trees and landed face first in a puddle of mud that was on the side of a road. He spluttered, spitting out mud and wiping it from his eyes. He stared amazed at his placement. Just a few…he was about to say minutes but then realized the sky was no longer blue but pink and orange, the sun was setting and he cursed loudly and stood hurriedly.

He dusted off his pants, out of habit more than anything and again began walking, his feet aching horribly and his body protesting in every way imaginable. His stomach was cramping from hunger, his mouth was dry (he was no longer near the river though) and his wrist just didn't stop throbbing painfully, he could feel it pulsing and he hugged it close to his chest like a whimpering child, patting it as he stumbled along the road.

If he listened closely, he could hear the sound of cars, or something that sounded faintly like a free way and he wondered just where he was for the first time in months. He knew there were plenty of forests around the highways but he never imagined anything like this. He wondered just what that church was doing there but pushed it from his mind, deciding he didn't care about that place. For all he knew there could be a town around him, or in the opposite direction from the church that used it many eons ago.

The more he walked, the louder the sounds got and the darker the sky became. He needed to reach the road before nightfall or else he would have to stop, blinded by the thick blackness that seemed to surround everything. He missed streetlights; he missed the city with civilization and his family. He missed his friends…He missed _Axel._

It became dark sooner than he would have liked and he was forced to stop, dropping tiredly on the side of the road. He sighed, a yawn interrupting him half way through and he curled up on the ground, shivering as a cough wracked through his frame.

Great, I'm sick, he thought bitterly as his nose began to feel slightly clogged. He cursed loudly and shivered harder as he tried to curl further into himself, as he tried to keep his heat incased.

He felt awkward and strange sleeping on the side of the road, but he really couldn't do anything about it now. Tomorrow morning he would have all day to walk, and he knew it wouldn't take that long to reach the road that he could so clearly hear now, the sounds of cars, mixing with the tree branches rustling and dancing in the night wind.

Again, morning surprised him when it came, and he sat up blinking, still not quite sure of where he was or who he was. Slowly his mind became alert and informed him that he was Roxas Baine and was currently stranded on the side of a road because his psycho-religious father had kidnapped him and tried to sacrifice him for the good of his soul.

He shuddered at the memories and stood up, his legs felt like they were on fire but he ignored them and continued the walk he had stopped in the middle of yesterday night. His stomach chose this moment in time to almost cripple him with a severe cramp, making him huddle over and hug his middle.

It rumbled loudly and he groaned in pain before forcing himself up and hurrying along. He could hear the road, could almost smell the car exhaust and smiled when he spotted the clearing of the forest a few feet ahead. He could see a group of something, something that looked like parked cars blocking the exit of the road where it merged with the actual street and his heart began to pound furiously in his chest as he hurried awkwardly, holding his stomach and limping from the pain in his legs.

He squinted into the morning light, wondering just whose those cars were and he realized the forest was slowly thinning out, that the clearing was a lot closer than he thought, there were scarcely any trees anymore; Roxas was actually close to _real_ freedom.

He could see the outlines of people by those cars now, and he noticed that there were a few police cruisers there, he could see them pointing at him. He went to wave his arms, but his stomach was in too much pain and something else caught his attention.

Suddenly, the sound of a car screeching to a halt behind him stopped him in his tracks, the sound of a door slamming shut making his breath pause right in his throat. He could faintly hear people shouting from the group where the cars were cluttered but he turned, ignoring those sounds in favour of the one that had snuck up behind him.

He turned slowly, eyes wide because he already knew; he knew who was behind him.

His father stood there, staring at him with those glass eyes and Roxas felt a sob right its way right out of his throat as he turned back and began to run. He could hear his father's heavy boots stomping on the dirt path as the man took off right after him. Roxas ran, tears streaming down his face and he sucked in a large amount of air, letting a piercing scream rip out of his throat.

He could hear his father panting, chasing after him and he was surprised he could run faster than the man. Deciding that wasn't important he pushed his body even harder, letting go of his stomach to use his arms to propel himself forward, he would scream out for someone to help him, but words failed him and all he could accomplish was a throaty sob. His last scream already having torn the last bit of energy he had to actually vocalize anything.

The sight of fiery red caught his attention and he realized that someone from the group of people was running towards him, and if he listened hard enough, if he blocked out the sound of his father's boots, the man's heavy panting and his own, he could faintly hear the rattling of chains.

"ROXAS!" the scream reached his ears, the desperation in the voice…that voice that belonged to only one person.

_Axel_.

* * *

**A/N:** -is machine-gunned into the dirt by rabid readers-


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven  
**_Salvation_

The boy couldn't believe his eyes, rushing towards him was Axel, he had believed that he'd never see the boy again. Yet at the same time, his father was much closer, and coming at him much quicker. The blonde sobbed loudly, running towards Axel and praying that God would let him reach the punk before his father did. His legs were burning horribly, a sharp pain shooting from his feet all the way into his waist and lower back; he knew that if he did not stop running soon he was going to topple over from exhaustion. Still, he continued to push his body, forcing it closer to Axel, though it seemed like he would never make it. His mind was playing tricks on him, blurring the lines of reality and altering space and time. The punk was a lot farther than he originally thought, and his father was a lot faster. Time was ticking slowly, he felt his internal clock running as if it was using the last drops of energy from the very last battery, and he closed his eyes.

The world seemed to be in slow motion as Roxas was tackled, the redhead's voice muffled as he screamed in terror and the blonde's head smashed into the ground, a loud ringing setting off in his head at once. He squirmed, his body being turned over by large, rough hands and when his bleary eyes blinked back into focus, pushing the clouding darkness from his vision, trying to concentrate on something besides the pounding headache, his father came into view. Roxas felt his throat go completely dry and his breath came out sounding pained and pinched, as if his airway was suddenly too small for the air to pass through. The man smirked down at the boy and straddled his waist. In his hands, Roxas saw the gleam of a stainless blade. The army knife. His mind whirled, the ringing getting much louder as he struggled to get away, as he pushed and tried to get his father off him.

"Nowhere to run now, you little _snake_," His father's voice had taken on a manic tone, his eyes having lost any hint of sanity as he raised the blade high over his head. Roxas could hear the sounds of feet pounding, the sounds of screams and he was not sure, but it sounded like there was a voice shouting through a megaphone. He closed his eyes, ready for the searing, agonizing pain of the blade stabbing right through his heart.

"NO!" The scream came from right over him, and he saw a flash of red and black when he opened his eyes as his father was roughly ripped off him. Axel throwing himself onto the man and sending them both to the ground a few inches away from where Roxas was laying, still shocked and amazed that he was alive, his mind working at a much slower pace to process everything that was happening. He blinked a few times before scrambling to his feet, the sight before him made his heart clench with fear, and his stomach flipped painfully, splashing the acids around and cramping his middle. Anger was also present among the pain, making its way slowly to the surface in his foggy mind, covering up every other feeling such as anxiety and fear. Roxas was so sick and tired of always being so fearful.

Axel was wrestling his father for the knife, and the man was winning. Roxas felt the blood in his veins start rushing, his heart pounding as he tried to make his way to them, his legs felt like jelly and he couldn't take a step, he gave a frustrated growl as his body begged him to just drop to the floor, but he had to protect Axel somehow.

He had the sound of rushing water in his ears but at least they were not ringing anymore. He still heard Axel grunt though, as his man smashed the punk into the ground; the knife fell with a silent thud into the dry dirt. Roxas wobbled as he tried to take another step, falling and instead stared with wide, terrified eyes at the scene before him, he felt so damn helpless. Quickly, his father straddled the punk's skinny hips and cocked his fist back, the sound of bone hitting bone was sickening and Roxas' stomach flipped again, filling his throat with warm bile as blood began to pour steadily from the corners of Axel's mouth. The punk bucked, sending the bigger man up into the air and soon their positions were reversed. Roxas' heart gave a little leap.

Axel gripped the man's shirt and began punching his face, the blood dripping off his chin and down onto Roxas' father. The man however would not stay down and he tangled his fingers in Axel's fiery red hair, tugging the boy's head back, his neck arching in a way Roxas assumed was horribly painful. Axel's face contorted but he did not release the man's collar, instead he began shaking Roxas' father, the man's head hitting the ground with a loud clonk. The blonde boy blinked, his head still pounding as he got up, trying to make his way over but Axel spotted his intentions and released his father, raising a hand, signaling Roxas to stop.

"No…Roxas…stay away," The blonde's father ripped Axel off him, using the punk's distracted state to his advantage and tossed him onto the ground, quickly getting up and collecting the knife from where it had fallen. Axel tried to get to his feet, but Roxas' father kicked him harshly in the stomach, making him double over, he repeated the action until Axel rolled further away and got to his feet, lunging at him and making the man drop the knife again. His father screamed loudly, thrashing wildly as Axel gripped his hair, smashing his head into the ground and managing to knee the blonde man in the stomach from his position over top. The shouts were becoming more frequent in the background, the voice in the megaphone was shouting but Roxas' didn't pay attention, he simply couldn't.

Roxas' father shot up causing Axel to topple off him, the punk's head hitting the ground and Roxas choked on tears that he had not realized were falling. His body just wouldn't move him forward, no matter how hard he tried, he realized it was slowly shutting down on him, finally giving into exhaustion without his consent. Each step wouldn't move at the speed he wanted, he felt like he was submerged in gelatin and was drowning in it. Roxas watched with horror as his father picked up the knife and tossed it back and forth between his hands, shooting him a look over his shoulder. His cold blue eyes locking right with Roxas' as the man smirked.

"I'm going to kill you Roxas, but first I'm going to kill your stupid little devil worshipper, right in front of your eyes."

The man stalked towards Axel and the punk hurried to his feet, as soon as he was standing Roxas' father slashed at the air, almost cutting the punk right in half. Roxas watched horrified and took a hesitant step forward, his legs felt like they didn't belong to him, his brain wasn't responding properly. He could still hear the noises in the background and he was sure someone was talking to his father, telling the man to hand himself over peacefully but he wouldn't listen, he kept trying to stab Axel.

He was going to _kill _Axel.

Roxas' world swayed but he took another step, eyes searching for anything on the ground to help him because he knew that if he didn't do something, his entire universe would be lost forever, completely torn apart at the seams. His entire world was Axel and he could not let his father harm the teen, the man had already ruined so much for him, he had robbed him of so many years. He spotted a rock just as his father caught Axel, holding the punk almost off the ground by his neck, Roxas could see the way Axel's skin was pressed tightly under the large, calloused hand and it made his blood boil. His own neck burned, how man times had his father held him like that…they were countless, yet it hurt a million times more seeing Axel, kind and caring, in the exact position. Axel was choking on his blood; Roxas could see it sprinkling out of his mouth, spraying his father. The redhead was struggling to force air into his lungs while trying to claw the man's hand away, he wasn't going to succeed though and Roxas knew that better than anyone else.

The redhead's face was slowly turning brighter than his hair and his eyes were bugging out of his head as he kicked his legs furiously. Roxas could hear that his gasps were losing strength and watched as his father tightened his grip even more, the man lifted the knife with his free hand and dragged it down Axel's chest, mumbling something as the punk open and closed his mouth wordlessly. The blade was so sharp it sliced through the boy's undershirt, leaving a visible tear in the fabric and Roxas' panicked.

Quickly, the small blonde picked up the rock and whipped it as hard as he could. It wasn't very hard though, the boy was weak and his arms were in so much pain but he knew it would at least buy Axel some time, taking his father's attention off the punk and onto himself. The rock hit his father's back with a dull thud, the man spun around, tossing Axel to the floor and the punk gasped like a fish out of water turning on all fours, gripping his neck and heaving, blood splattering onto the floor as he tried to get air into his lungs in huge gulps.

"Leave him alone!" Roxas shouted, feeling courage surging through his weak body giving him strength and his father just threw his head back, laughing loudly. "I'm serious!" Roxas felt his hands shaking with anger and he glared at his father. The man had beaten him all his life, forced religion down his throat, ruined his family, kidnapped him and now he was trying to kill Axel? No, Roxas would not stand for it, he had withstood everything else with his mouth shut because his father was hurting _him_and no one else, but now he was threatening Axel's life. He would let his father kill him if need be, but the man was not going to harm Axel. Not with Roxas still breathing.

"It's me you want, come and get me," The boy's voice did not shake and he was grateful he sounded strong. His father smirked and ducked his head, looking like a bull ready to charge and before he took off, Axel shouted, his voice sounding harsh coming from his raw throat.

"Roxas…_no_!" but it was too late for him to stop what was about to happen next, even as he swiped the air, trying to grip the boy's father's ankle before he had the chance to take off but he was too far away.

The man charged, straight at the frail blonde and when he hit him, the air was knocked clean out of Roxas' lungs, making his eyes widen and his mouth fall open. He fell back onto the ground, white-hot pain shooting through his head when it made contact and he was struggling for breath as his father pressed the knife's cool blade to his pulse. He could feel the sharp edge slicing into the first layers of his skin as easy as if the man was cutting into warm cheese. The sting was almost unbearable and Roxas prayed that God would make it quick, that he wouldn't have to suffer any more, if what he was going to do next didn't succeed.

He lifted his arms, his head swimming from lack of oxygen and all the hits he had taken and before the man could slit his throat, he landed a hard hit to the side of his father's head, collecting strength from his entire body and expelling it all into that single blow, momentarily throwing his father off. The blade slipped, cutting Roxas but fell away before it could be pushed deep and out of his father's hand. The blonde kicked his legs up, knocking the man off him and he scrambled away, picking up the knife and pointing it at the man as he stood up. He ignored the way the blood was crawling down his neck, tickling him with it's odd warmth and seeping into his shirt's collar

"You aren't going to hurt him…if you want to kill me…fine, but leave him alone!" Roxas fought the tears swimming in his eyes as his father stood, shaking his head once and glaring at Roxas with those dead eyes. It caused a cold shiver to run up the blonde's spine but he ignored it and held the knife ready. Slight doubt crossed the boy's mind, thinking, what if his father came at him, would he be able to stab the man?

Roxas' heart was thudding harshly and his mind was still swimming, the world fuzzy around the edges but he blinked and refocused with all his might.

He decided, that if he would have the chance to stab the man, he would bury the six-inch blade right into his father's stomach. No remorse, just like the man never had with him.

"When I get my hands on you-" but the man never finished his sentence. The air was sliced by the sound of a gunshot, the bullet zooming right by Roxas' ear, leaving it ringing as it rushed past him and right into his father's chest. The man's eyes widened and he looked down, hands coming up to try and stop the heavy flow of blood that was pumping out of the hole right where his heart should be.

Roxas knew his father didn't have one.

Roxas dropped the knife just as the man fell to the ground and raced past him to where Axel was still on all fours, clutching at his burning throat. Roxas kneeled by the punk and gripped his shoulders, Axel's head shooting up and their eyes locked, making Roxas feel gooey on the inside and again the world swayed from side to side. Axel smiled brightly, all his teeth tinted red by a thin layer of blood and Roxas cringed, but decided he didn't care and crashed his lips against the punk's. Axel toppled backwards, taken by surprise and Roxas followed, landing right on top of the taller teen. Axel responded immediately, and the taste of blood made Roxas feel queasy but he did not pull away, he _couldn't._

His lungs ached and he knew Axel's must be burning just as much but he was desperate to feel this connection. His mind was whirling as Axel wrapped his arms around his waist, he felt like he was on the edge of going insane. All those nights he had dreamed of this moment, all the thoughts and doubts that this would never happen yet, here Axel was, bloody and bruised all for him. It was surreal, he couldn't believe it yet he knew it was true, that it had happened and he thank God repeatedly.

Roxas felt his chest aching and he pulled away when he felt something warm and wet on his cheeks. At first, he thought he was crying, but when he looked down, he realized that it was Axel, the punk's eyes red and watering as he gazed up at Roxas. "I thought I'd never see you again," He rasped, and Roxas laughed. He didn't know why exactly but he laughed.

Before he could respond, he was being pulled off Axel by a police officer, the one who had apparently shot his father down and the man looked at him, Roxas registered he was speaking but he couldn't quite understand or hear him, the sound of rushing water was getting stronger. He saw his mother running across the field, after breaking away from another officer that had held her back the entire fight. Sora was racing right after her; surprisingly his mother ran much faster and skidded to a halt right by his father. She glared down at the dead man, his blood pooling around him and Roxas heard her gathering spit and phlegm in her mouth before she spat it on his corpse. She landed a hard kick before continuing and running to where Roxas was standing, swaying slightly on his feet. She tugged him away from the police officer, her blue eyes filled with tears and pain as she brushed his dirty bangs away from his equally dirty face.

"My baby…_my baby_…are you alright? Did he hurt you? Oh sweet heart…I'm so sorry," She was sobbing hysterically but Roxas never got the chance to answer her, he was enveloped in two strong arms and was shocked to see Sora, crushing him against his chest. The brunette mumbled against Roxas' head, his own tears dropping onto the blonde's matted hair.

"Roxas…Roxas it's really you, I thought I had lost you again," Roxas blinked a few times, wrapping his arms around his brother sluggishly. The sound of rushing water was gone, but instead Roxas now felt like his entire head was submerged in water, everything sounding strange and muffled. His brother's voice sounded far away and garbled, he could hear his mother talking and he barley registered when Sora pulled him away and held him at arms length, he saw the way Sora's lips moved, and how he furrowed his eyebrows but he could not say anything. He could see the police officers and the paramedics rolling his father away on a gurney, and a few others rushing towards where they were, he could see it was because the officer was pointing at him and waving them over, he looked like he needed them urgently. Roxas could not concentrate on anything after that, his head felt light, there was a fuzzy darkness surrounding everything, and this time he couldn't push it away.

"I-I want…to go home," he said quietly before everything went black and he toppled right into Sora.

* * *

**A/N:** You guys can't hate me, look at the update speed!  
So, I'm on March Break which means...writing time!  
YAY!

Sad to say though, TCaTR is coming to an end.  
I just don't feel like finishing this story...so...I'm stopping it here.  
You guys can make up the rest.

HA I LIED!  
I'm not stopping it, so don't get your panties in a twist!

I'll see you all next update :]


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight  
**_Home Sweet Home_

Roxas awoke in a bed he did not recognize, his eyes felt like there was a layer of something over them, making everything blurry and he rubbed them furiously, trying to get it away and clear his vision. When he could see again, he noticed he was in a hospital room, lying on starched sheets and a machine was beeping beside him happily. He stared down at his hands and cringed, his wrist was wrapped in a tensor bandage and on the other hand, an I.V had been set up. He noted that his fingernails were clean and there was no longer mud caked on his hands. Lifting them, he ran them through his hair, relieved to find it was also free of dirt; his fingers continued down towards his face to find there was a bandage on his forehead and further down there was also one on his neck.

He smiled brightly and looked around the room, finding Sora curled on a sofa with his head in Riku's lap, his mother on the other side with her head on the platinum haired man's shoulder.

He sat up more, scooting back in the bed not wanting to make any noise and wake up his slumbering family. His stomach cramped with the movement and he realized he was starving, he hugged his middle and kept looking around, though he wasn't sure what he was looking for.

He was just happy to be free.

Sora stirred and blinked his eyes open, immediately looking towards Roxas and shooting up, rushing over and almost tripping on his feet. He gripped the metal railing beside the boy's bed and Roxas smiled up at him, Sora just staring before breaking out into his own grin. "Roxas…welcome back," his brother said still smiling and the boy cleared his throat before speaking.

"Was I asleep? For how long?" He asked and Sora looked pensive, before shrugging his shoulders and leaning over the bed's railing to hug Roxas tightly. The blonde wrapped his arms around his brother and inhaled deeply, it was the smell of safety, of freedom, of love. He still could not believe he had escaped, everything felt like a crazy dream. He had so many questions to ask Sora like, how had they found him? What month was it really? Where was Axel? When could he go home? What was going to happen now?

He decided to ask about the month first and Sora smiled, telling him it was late March and spring was getting ready to dive into full bloom. Roxas nodded his head, proud that his assumption had been almost correct. The next most important question was where Axel was.

"He was released yesterday, he's probably downstairs. The _'gang'_ is apparently coming to see you," Sora shrugged, and Roxas felt his heart leap. His friends were still thinking of him, they still remembered him.

Rationality, after staying quiet for so long, spoke, telling him of course they remembered him and he had to agree with the small voice of reason. Of course they would.

"Roxas…are you alright? He didn't hurt you too bad…did he?" Sora asked after a silent pause and Roxas winced, staring down at the white sheet that was decorated with small rough squares of different fabric, Roxas picked at one and nodded his head. Pushing down the assault of memories, the pain filled days and nights, almost crying himself into dehydration…he pushed it all back and forced himself to look up at his brother.

"I'm fine…it was just…so scary," Roxas' voice shook and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He had cried enough already, he wasn't going to start up again, not when it was all over for good. "He's gone…right?" Roxas stared at Sora with such intensity and fear in his blue eyes, it seemed to take the brunette off guard but when he nodded, his eyes were watering and Roxas didn't feel so weak anymore.

"Yes…for good this time," Sora answered and Roxas smiled, his heart swelling, though a dark, small corner of his mind felt horrible for it. His _father_…was dead. The man may have been a monster, but he was human…he had been his father and nothing would change that.

The larger part of Roxas did not care, it was glad the man was gone.

"How did you find me?" Roxas finally asked and Sora smiled, looking up at the ceiling seeming deep in thought.

"The police weren't much help really, they have a certain time limit before they start taking attention from the case and giving it to more recent ones. At first, they helped but slowly they dwindled down to nothing and Axel and I took to scourging the city while mom stayed home and took care of the phone calls." Sora rolled his eyes and shook his head, his scowl showing his dislike for the city's justice system.

"Finally the police got a clue from someone, it was a gas station worker…He told us someone fitting the description of…_that_ man…had been in a few weeks back. The police found his credit card, proving he had been there and when we searched the area, we found the small path, it took us a while to actually find it but we did." Sora smiled and Roxas remembered when they had stopped for gas, it seemed so far back now, almost like a faded memory and he licked his dry lips, remembering how scared he had been the entire ride.

"Can you believe only one cruiser and ambulance came with us? It was ridiculous, they didn't think we would actually find anything but Axel found the opening in his car and raced out before everyone else. That's how we found you running out of the forest, and then the officer called for backup while dad battled it off and…you know the rest." Sora stopped and Roxas stared at him, he really wasn't too aware what had been happening with the police while he was fighting his father, he didn't know much of anything and he could barley remember it now. The blonde examined Sora's face, the man was smiling but he had dark rings under his eyes and looked very tired. The boy's heart clenched and he looked down again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly and he heard Sora make a strange sound in his throat before his brother gripped his chin, making him look up.

"Don't apologize for being the victim of his insanity Roxas," his brother was so serious, Roxas was taken aback by it for a few moments, before he tossed his arms around his brother and squeezed him, tears leaking freely now because he just didn't have the strength to stop them.

The sofa creaked and when the two brother's separated, Roxas was being scooped into his mother's arms, the woman sobbing again and petting Roxas, squeezing him tightly and he smiled against her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and holding on tightly. Riku stood beside Sora, wrapping an arm around the man's waist and Sora sighed, the weight that had been on his chest lifting at the sight of his brother, happy and well.

"Oh Roxas…I'm sorry I let this happen," his mother hiccupped, pulling away and wiping her eyes, Roxas shook his head, squeezing her hand in his good one and smiled at her, hoping she'd stop crying because it was breaking his heart.

"It's not your fault…I'm fine," the small blonde smiled and his mother wiped her eyes as more tears flowed, it seemed to be a futile effort though. She kissed his forehead over the bandage and he smiled more, a small smile creeping onto the woman's face.

The hospital room door shot open with a group of teenagers pouring in, Naminé at the head of the group, and she raced towards Roxas' bedside, her eyes red and already filled with tears. "ROXAS!" she cried, climbing onto the bed, ignoring everyone's protest and she hugged him, Roxas laughing crazily as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You're safe!" she cried out and Roxas pulled away, nodding his head and spotting fiery red hair that made his heart jump.

"Yes…and it's all because of Axel," his mouth said the words before he could stop them and he blushed as the punk walked towards him, lacing their fingers together and smiling down at Roxas. The redhead's face was bruised badly and his bottom lip was very swollen, but he was alive. Naminé giggled through her tears and Marluxia pulled her off the bed. Larxene, Demyx and Zexion also coming closer and standing at the foot of the bed, all of them crowding and smiling at Roxas, looking beyond glad to see him there.

"Roxas…we've all missed you horribly," Zexion said and Larxene laughed, though Roxas could see the relief on her face.

"Yeah, we were all tired of hearing Axel bitch," she said making everyone laugh and Roxas smiled at her, as she pinched his toes through the sheets, it was rare but she sent him a kind smile. He blinked a few times, realizing that yes, she _had_ smiled at him.

He felt so glad to be back.

Roxas' body felt so much better with good sleep and with food in his stomach. He had been home now for a few days and was still eating as much as the first day. At first it was painful, his stomach walls stretching as he overstuffed the poor organ with his mother's cooking, but slowly it was going back to normal, holding the amount of food he had been able too before his father had taken him. Subconsciously, Roxas had to stretch his stomach again because it was just one small step to returning everything to normal. His world had been shaken so badly and just the simple fact that he could eat normal amounts of food again, comforted him greatly.

"When's Axel coming?" Sora asked, sliding into his coat as Riku searched the apartment for _something_. Roxas had come back home to find it was a complete mess, papers, clothing, take-out containers strew across every horizontal surface. He helped his mother clean, no matter how much she protested. It had been a strange, bonding experience in his eyes.

"In half an hour," Roxas said around a mouth full of sandwich, Sora laughed and sat on the chair beside him, staring at his brother as the blonde shoved the rest of the sandwich into his mouth. "You guys don't have to leave," Roxas could speak after swallowing all the bread with a gulp of juice and Sora shook his head as Riku _eureka'd_ in the background, tugging a scarf from under the sofa. Roxas scrunched his nose, when had that gotten there? His mother and him had cleaned everything…including under the sofa's.

Then he cringed remembering how he and his mother had gone grocery shopping just as Riku and Sora had walked in…with scarves on.

"Nonsense. You need your alone time with Axel, trust me. The poor kid was a mess when you went missing Rox," Sora looked at the boy with a soft smile and Roxas felt himself burning up, he could even feel the heat in his ears and his brother just laughed, ruffling his hair, which was back to its healthy, and shinny blonde. "And mom needed to catch up with her friends. They were also pretty worried," Sora stood and went over to help Riku, who was growling as the scarf battled against him, refusing to stay the way he liked it.

It amazed Roxas how his brother simply knew these things, how he could seemingly sense them before Riku even yelped for help. The yelp came a few seconds later, just as Sora was walking over. "Sora!" Riku pouted as the brunette laughed at him, gripping the scarf and fixing it, pulling the man's long hair out from under it.

Roxas watched them with a smile. The boy hoped he and Axel would be like that one day, and he knew they would. He could feel it.

"You think you'll be okay for a while alone? Or do you want us to wait until—" The doorbell buzzed loudly and all three jumped, Roxas almost spilling his juice and Riku simply glaring at the door while Sora hurried over to open it. Roxas downed his juice and raced into the living room, slipping on the carpet looking like a puppy skidding over floor tiles. Axel stood at the door with a small over-night bag tossed over his shoulder, his hair tied away from his face and to Roxas' relief; the boy's bruises were slowly fading away to nothing, his lip no longer swollen. The punk smiled brightly when he spotted Roxas and Sora moved out of the way, letting the redhead into the apartment. Riku nodded his greeting and slipped out the door just as Sora slipped on his shoes.

"Now, behave you too. We won't be back until _laterrr_," Sora wiggled his eyebrows causing Roxas to blush and splutter, raising his arms and shaking his head. Riku appeared over Sora's shoulder and rolled his eyes, tugging the brunette out by the waist.

"Don't destroy the apartment," and Riku only added to the embarrassment, instead of saving him like Roxas had hoped he was going to do. The man smirked at them and winked as he shut the door. Roxas could hear the couple laughing as they walked down the hallway. He was horrified that they would say anything of that sort, but then he was relieved that they could finally enjoy a day together without worrying about anything.

"They seem _extra _cheerful," Axel said with a smile, and Roxas turned, smiling right back before shrugging and scrunching his nose.

"Riku had his scarf under the couch," Axel raised an eyebrow but Roxas just shook his head, laughing before he tackled the redhead, making the taller boy stumble backwards into the apartment. They hadn't spent anytime alone at all and Roxas was actually overjoyed that his family had left, as selfish as that made him feel.

"I've missed you," Roxas mumbled against the punk's warm chest, Axel slowly wound his arms around the boy, squeezing him tightly, and Roxas sighed happily, as Axel's voice rumbled through him.

"You wouldn't believe how much I missed you," Roxas pulled away and looked up at the boy's face, tilting his head to the side with his arms still around Axel's middle.

"Try me," He said with a smile and Axel laughed, leaning down and capturing the blonde's lips with his own. Roxas' world swayed but from happiness and he shut his eyes, responding happily as the punk traced the seam of his lips with his warm tongue. He parted them with a contented sigh, and the feeling of kissing Axel felt brand new to him, it felt exactly like the first time which now seemed to be decades ago.

They pulled away when they were both dizzy from lack of oxygen and Roxas smiled brightly, going on the tips of his toes to peck the punk on the lips. Axel laughed before tightening his hold on Roxas and lifting him, twirling while holding the tiny blonde. Roxas squealed and wrapped his dangling legs around the punk's hips, pressing himself closer and shutting his eyes, laughing loudly.

"So, so damn,_ fucking_ much," Axel grinned when he stopped and Roxas looked at him, the apartment was still spinning in his mind but he managed a small glare.

"Watch your mouth," Roxas teased because he knew that no one in heaven or on earth could make the punk stop cussing. Axel pressed their foreheads together, his hot breath warming Roxas' lips and making the boy's body tingle.

"Hmm, I'd rather kiss yours," Axel laughed when Roxas' blushed and shut his eyes before the punk kissed him again, this time Roxas responded hungrily, tangling his fingers in the punk's hair, no doubt loosening his ponytail, as an overwhelming urge to feel every inch of Axel's body filled him. He could feel parts of Axel's stomach pressed against him already as the redhead held Roxas off the floor, but that wasn't enough.

The boy blushed furiously as Axel gasped when he nipped at his bottom lip. For once, he was the first one to slide his tongue into the other's mouth and it felt empowering, it made his body surge with an unknown yet familiar heat.

His mind raced back to that night, which also seemed eons ago, when with memories of Axel he had found…_pleasure_. His thoughts seemed to be scrambled everywhere and he felt a hint of shame in knowing that none of them were what a good catholic should be thinking.

Roxas shocked himself with those thoughts and immediately let go of the punk, letting himself down and disconnecting their lips. The punk's face was flushed and he was panting slightly as Roxas looked around the apartment awkwardly. The boy could feel Axel staring at him, probably curious as to why he had stopped. Axel turned and walked over to the couch, plopping down onto it and Roxas remained at the entrance before tearing his eyes away from the wall and over to where the redhead was. Axel laughed, and patted the spot beside him. The blonde hurried over, jumping over the armrest and landing right by the punk.

"I'm sorry," Roxas found himself apologizing and snapped his jaw shut as soon as the words left his mouth, his face turned beet red as Axel laughed and wrapped an arm around him. He was slightly frightened by the heat surging through him and he didn't know what would happen if they didn't stop. He knew and recognized the feelings and they made him feel slightly guilty.

"Sh, don't apologize. I came to spend time with you. We don't have to spend it all making out…Now, don't get me wrong, kissing you is amazing and I can never get enough…but talking is just as good. I missed your voice," Axel stared down at the blonde and Roxas blushed looking away before shifting and facing Axel.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" He sounded like he was relieved with what the punk had said which embarrassed him because he liked kissing Axel too but…he was afraid. He didn't know what was going to happen if they continued and that's what frightened him most…then Larxene's brief explanation rushed into his mind and his head seemed to detach itself from his body.

Would he be ready to give himself to Axel? The blonde thought about this but Axel interrupted him when he spoke. "Anything really," Axel smirked and caressed the blonde's soft cheek. Roxas leaned into the gentle touch and sighed.

"I cleaned," He whispered and Axel chuckled.

"Yeah?" he said softly and Roxas nodded, scooting closer where he was almost in the boy's lap. Axel got the hint and hoisted him until he was seated comfortably on the punk's thighs. "How's everything?" Axel continued and kissed Roxas' cheek softly just where his hand had been, keeping his lips there and Roxas' shivered as Axel kissed lower, nearing his jaw.

Was he ready to give himself completely to Axel?

His heart pounded in answer and his body seemed to tug him closer to the punk. He prayed quickly, and he was almost angry with himself for it, but decided he needed to. He asked God if this was the right thing to do.

He realized that if he loved Axel, it would be the right thing to do. And he did love him, he loved him so much.

The blonde tilted his head showing more of his neck before answering, "It's very good…I'm…glad to be back home," Roxas sighed as Axel trailed soft kisses down the side of his neck, stopping where the fabric of his shirt began and covered the rest of his skin. "I thought we were going to talk," Roxas said softly, his voice not being able to come out strong with Axel's lips pressed against his pulse, the punk kissed the fading cut gently, and Roxas shivered. If the punk continued, he wouldn't stop him.

"We are," Axel's voice was muffled and Roxas laughed, finding that he didn't mind and he wasn't at all scared.

"How about you?" Roxas asked with a shaky voice and Axel hummed, kissing his way back up and finally pulling away. Roxas stared hungrily at the boy's mouth, completely amazed at the way he was feeling and he gave up trying to bat it away, it was just too strong. It felt right though…and he shivered from it's intensity.

"What about me?" Axel smirked and Roxas rolled his eyes, feeling exasperated as he wrapped his arms around the punk's neck.

"How's everything?" Axel chuckled before pressing a brief kiss to Roxas' lips and he answered against them.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Roxas scowled and Axel just laughed harder before kissing him.

This time the punk didn't pull away, and Roxas felt a small happiness bubbling inside of him as their kiss deepened all over again, all efforts of speech thrown out the window and forgotten, their tongues tangling in a passionate dance and Roxas' body erupted in scorching heat. Roxas' eyes widen as Axel shifted and pressed him into the couch's plush seats, his heart began hammering in his chest in an instant as soon as Axel position himself over the boy's body. Roxas swallowed quickly as Axel gazed down at him, it had been so long since he had seen those emerald eyes, but he could still remember what they looked like with that emotion swirling around in them, darkening the irises until they looked like a deep forest green. He realized with slight embarrassment…that it was _want_. He could also feel the punk's hardened member pressing into his thigh, and he was sure his own was pressing into some part of Axel.

"Roxas…" Axel chuckled breathlessly and the boy just looked at him with rounded eyes. Axel sighed "We should really concentrate on talking…because I just might lose it," the punk pressed his forehead to Roxas' small shoulder and the blonde laid there in confusion. He didn't quite understand what Axel meant by _lose i_t.

"W-what do you mean?" He asked, all at once his shy, timid nature seemed too strong and he forced it down, trying his best not to let it ruin what he had just decided he wanted. His certainty left him laying there with wide eyes and a heart that was beating much too fast. He tried to summon that courage he'd been feeling as of late. His body feeling much too hot in his slacks and cardigan, again Larxene's words echoed in his mind.

"Roxas…I've wanted you for so long…I don't know how much—" Roxas stopped the punk's speech with his lips, kissing him furiously and holding onto the back of the boy's neck. He shook his head, lips still pressed against Axel's and the blonde pulled away.

"You d-don't have to hold back anymore," Roxas whispered, his stomach twisting and he was surprised he could even force something like that past his lips. Axel seemed shocked too, staying over Roxas and blinking owlishly down at the boy. Roxas was blushing the hardest he ever had and averted his eyes, his chest rising and falling erratically.

"Are you sure Roxas?" The punk asked and he sounded too loud in the sudden quiet, Roxas nodded his head with his eyes shut and Axel chuckled softly, tilting the boy's face towards his own. "If you're sure…you'll at least look at me," Axel's voice was soft, kind and just as caring as ever. Roxas opened his eyes and stared directly into the punk's.

Any doubt was erased.

* * *

**A/N: **_BAM_, BITCH! -does Emeril hand movements-  
Another update for all chu lovely readers.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine  
**_Love_

"Yes, I'm sure," Roxas said and his voice surprised him with it's strength. Axel sat up quickly and stood, reaching down and offering the blonde his hand. Roxas took it and was hoisted off the couch. Axel began walking in the direction of the blonde's room and Roxas' stomach was twisting constantly, his heart pounding in his temples as he forced his legs to move one after the other. They felt weak, and he couldn't wait till he could lay down. He didn't want to collapse and frighten Axel, it's just it felt like he was walking on clouds.

The punk released his hand when they were standing beside the bed and Roxas crawled onto it slowly, turning and facing the punk with wide eyes, his cheeks still burning. Axel shrugged the green Orgy 13 sweater Roxas had gotten him, off his shoulders, Roxas just realizing he had worn it, and he smiled reassuringly when the punk looked over at him. Roxas began to unbutton his black cardigan with shaking fingers; Axel smiled and crawled onto the bed.

"Here," he breathed softly and helped Roxas, the blonde swallowed thickly staring at Axel's exposed pale shoulders. He lifted his hands and touched the warm skin, trailing his fingers down the punk's thin arms and enjoying the soft feel of them. Axel pulled the cardigan from Roxas' shoulders and the boy tugged his arms out of them. The red head tossed it away and smiled softly at the blonde, making his heart jump and Roxas reached out, curling his fingers in the black fabric of Axel's undershirt. With one strong tug, he took it off the punk, and his heart jumped right into his throat at the sight of a smooth, pale chest. Axel's cheeks took on a pink tint and he leaned forward and began kissing Roxas again, slowly and passionately. Heat pooled under the boy's navel and he ran his hands down Axel's soft back, the pads of his spread fingers pressing into the boy's warm skin when the punk started to slowly unbutton his dress shirt. The cool air of the room touched the overheated skin of his chest and he blushed brightly, the realization of being naked in front of Axel finally sinking in.

Soon they were down to just their pants and Roxas stared at Axel's button with a look of deep concentration on his face. The punk didn't have any belts on and Axel sat on his knees, long fingers slowly unbuttoning his own pants while Roxas watched entranced. Axel chuckled and shimmed out of the tight material easily, leaving him in nothing but his black boxer-briefs. Roxas blushed, admiring the boy's long legs as the redhead scooted back and undid the button of Roxas' slacks.

"You still sure?" Axel asked as he gently tugged them from Roxas' legs, the boy stared down at him and realized just how gorgeous the punk was, not as if he had never seen it before, but it felt like he was seeing it again, it was like it was the first day of school all over again. His heart felt like it had stopped but in reality, it was pounding near a million miles per hour. Roxas nodded because words would simply fail him at this point and lifted his hips aiding in the removal of his pants. Once his legs were revealed he felt embarrassed and wanting nothing more than to hide under the covers but Axel quickly crawled back up, pressing their bare chests together and making Roxas dizzy as he kissed the air right out of his lungs. He forgot about his unclothed state and responded hungrily to the kiss, gasping when Axel pressed their arousals together.

The punk's large hands danced down the boy's bare sides and Roxas shivered as Axel gripped the waistband of his boxers, Roxas gripped the teen's shoulders and opened his eyes to find Axel looking at him. He smiled feeling the fabric of his boxers slide off his legs and he finished by kicking them off, making Axel grin as he tugged down his own.

They were pressed together, every inch of bare skin touching and Roxas' head was swimming, a choked moan escaped his lips when Axel kissed his neck, simultaneously wrapping his warm fingers around Roxas' member. "Still sure?" Axel breathed softly and Roxas simply nodded his head vigorously, wanting to keep that amazing feeling on his lower anatomy. Axel kissed his neck softly, trailing up towards his ear and when the punk reached his lobe, he kissed it softly, "You're beautiful Roxas," The boy shuddered as Axel squeezed him gently, the heat under his belly button exploded and spread through-out his body as he panted. There was that feeling again, like a coil being pressed down and tightened, feeling like it was about to break free. Roxas shut his eyes and arched off the bed slightly. Axel kissed back down his exposed neck, removing his hand and making Roxas flop back onto the bed. He tried to control his breathing and watched as Axel looked around the room and a soft scowl appeared on his face.

"W-what's wrong," Roxas panted and Axel smiled softly and looked over at him.

"You wouldn't happen to have…any lotion?" Axel asked and the bright blush that adored the punk's face surprised Roxas and he simply stared at the pink tint on the boy's cheeks. He looked so...adorable, Roxas had to smile and grabbed his face softly between his hands, Axel seemed slightly confused and Roxas licked his dry lips.

"You…you look…amazing," Roxas said, his voice not sounding very strong but it was filled with love. Axel's blush brightened, he looked down, his dark lashes resting in his red cheeks, and Roxas pulled him forward, pressing their lips together and kissing the punk slowly.

Axel pulled away and cleared his throat, still blushing and smiled gently at Roxas, caressing his sides and asking about the lotion again when it appeared that Roxas had completely forgotten. The blonde's eyes widened and he was about to ask why Axel needed hand lotion but again, Larxene's voice rang through his ears. The blonde blushed deeply, eyes slightly widening before he threw his arm out clumsily to the side and patted around the night stand. Axel chuckled and leaned down; unconsciously, his body pressing against Roxas' and the blonde could feel Axel's own arousal pressing against his stomach. The boy shuddered, biting his bottom lip as Axel found the lotion, and uncapped it.

"I'm going to ask again—" Roxas groaned and rolled his eyes as he gripped Axel's shoulders pulling the redhead down and silencing him by kissing him roughly, his tongue dancing inside the punk's mouth and Axel seemed shocked but responded quickly, making Roxas moan softly and the blonde broke the kiss with a smile. Axel was staring down at his face with concern, biting on his bottom lip and Roxas cupped the boy's face, his thumb tracing his lip and pulling it out from between his teeth. Roxas' gaze was soft and loving, showing the punk just with his eyes how much he wanted this and just how sure he was. "I love you," Roxas whispered and Axel grinned before coating his fingers and lowering them.

"Pull your legs to your chest," Axel said softly and Roxas complied, hooking his hands in the hollow behind his knees and pulling them back. He was blushing furiously, his heart pounding so hard he thought it was going to fly out of his chest. He was terrified, but he wouldn't let Axel know, he didn't want to ruin this moment by telling the punk he was scared. Axel might want to stop and Roxas didn't want to, he wanted this more than anything. So instead of voicing his fear, he smiled when Axel shot him a concerned glance. He was tired of being afraid, he was going to just…He gasped loudly when a long finger was inserted into his entrance, his body automatically clenching around the intrusion, all coherent thought completely forgotten.

"Hey, hey…relax," Axel's soft voice whispered into his ear and his body slowly did as it was told. Roxas wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck and feared he was suffocating him but Axel didn't seem bothered as he kissed Roxas softly. The finger moved around inside of Roxas and made him shudder, it felt so strange inside of him, yet it felt…nice.

It slid out and when it came back, another joined it with more cool lotion slicked on the fingers. A sharp sting shot through him and he shut his eyes tight, forcing his body to relax. He had felt things much more painful than this; he had re-aligned his own nose for crying out loud, this was nothing compared that that, he could handle this.

Roxas smiled against Axel's lips, relaxing fully as the punk took the two out and inserted a third finger after applying more lotion. This time, no matter how much Roxas tried to talk himself into relaxing he couldn't. It stung horribly and he shivered, a small, pained gasp escaping into Axel's mouth and the punk pulled away looking worried. Roxas opened his eyes and caressed the punk's cheek in a way he hoped was reassuring.

"I-I'm fine," he gasped out and Axel bit his bottom lip in worry, again Roxas pulled it out of his mouth and kissed it softly, nuzzling his nose into the punk's soft cheek. Axel kissed his temple, trying to help Roxas relax. Roxas shifted trying to ease the pain in his lower back, forgetting that the fingers still inside of him and with his movement they brushed something in him, the name of it escaped him at that moment in time, but he knew that he knew what it was.

His body spasmed and he tossed his head back, a soundless moan opening his mouth. "K-keep going, please," Roxas managed and felt Axel shift, the punk trailing gentle kisses down his neck and along his chest. The redhead began to move his fingers, the pain returning but every time it got too strong, Axel would brush that tiny bundle of nerves and Roxas' body would loosen, his small frame shivering in pleasure.

Axel pulled all the fingers out soon enough and reached for the lotion that lay thrown on the bed, Roxas sat up slightly, and reached for it. The punk handed it over, confusion creasing his brow and Roxas tried not to fumble with the slightly slippery bottle as he squeezed a portion into his hands. His eyes trailed down Axel's body, all the way to where his member was, and Roxas felt his throat drying as he reached for it tentatively. His fingers wrapped around it, the cool lotion contrasting with the scorching heat of Axel's skin. The punk hissed out a breath, the muscles in his thighs tensing and Roxas' heart pounding in his temples, his entire body buzzing with excitement. He lathered the lotion all over Axel, his face burning with a blush yet he enjoyed the way it felt in his hand, the smooth feel of the punk's skin and fluid movement. The boy could have continued if Axel wouldn't have stopped him.

"R-Rox…that's enough," The punk breathed and Roxas plopped back onto the bed, Axel following him and connecting their lips hungrily. "Shit…that felt so good Roxas," Axel smirked and Roxas blushed furiously, his arms shakily wrapping around Axel's chest as the boy shifted closer. The hot tip of his member pressed against Roxas' entrance and the boy jumped, a gasp slipping past his lips.

"Are you ready?" Axel asked and Roxas nodded his head, shutting his eyes as the redhead slowly began sliding into him. The amount of lotion made the action easier but it still stung, the sharp pain settling right in Roxas' lower back and spreading down his legs. It burned and his body wanted nothing more than to clench around the intrusion and stop it from going any further but Roxas forced himself to relax. Axel looked at him, his eyes laden with worry and he bit his bottom lip, Roxas would have pulled it out but his fingers were busy digging into the punk's shoulder blades. The redhead kissed Roxas' nose before speaking "Take deep breaths through your nose and let them out through your mouth…like pregnant women," The punk suggested and Roxas felt his body quivering, he didn't know whether to take the advice of laugh at it. He decided he could manage both. His laughter sounded choppy and Axel grinned as Roxas began breathing how he instructed. Once his breathing had a good pattern he opened his eyes.

Roxas was surprised to see the strained expression on the punk's face, sweat collecting over his brow and making stray red hairs, that had slipped from his pony tail, stick to his skin. Roxas realized he was sweating furiously too, and swallowed thickly, as he wiped a few hairs away from Axel's face gently. The punk smiled at him, and it warmed Roxas' insides. A smile told the boy how much the redhead loved him.

"Does…it hurt?" Axel breathed and Roxas shook his head, even if it felt like he was being torn in two. He didn't want Axel to feel bad or guilty. The pain was slowly subsiding the longer Axel stayed still and after a few minutes, Roxas motioned for Axel to continue. The punk began at once and Roxas squeezed him, his head pressing firmly into the pillows as he tried to stop the pained cry that was threatening to break free from his throat.

Finally Axel stilled, fully seated inside the small boy and Roxas noticed the boy's arms were quivering as he tried to hold himself up. Roxas hugged him tightly, trying to control his ragged breathing and he could hear Axel's panted breaths as well. "Whenever you're ready Roxas," Axel's voice sounded hoarse and the blonde nodded his head, forcing every muscle in his body to relax except for the ones that were holding Axel. The punk pulled out and slowly eased his way back in, Roxas shuddered, feeling filled to the very brim was something indescribable and he shakily wrapped his legs around Axel's waist, hooking them at the ankles as the punk found a steady rhythm.

Roxas found himself raising his hips to meet every thrust, wanting more contact, small moans escaping him and Axel was panting by his ear, the warm breath making him shiver as he dug his blunt fingernails into Axel's shoulder blades. He tried to press himself even closer, wanting to feel everything, every inch of skin and he did, the punk's body was burning, and Roxas was willing to bet his was just as hot. He could feel sweat rolling off himself and into his sheets, the redhead's sweat making their skin stick in certain places. Roxas groaned as Axel pushed deeper into him, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

With a particular thrust, Axel hit that bundle of nerves again, white-hot pleasure bursting through Roxas and a loud, wanton moan escaped his lips, his head lolling to the side and Axel shifted, sitting up and gripping the headboard of the blonde's bed. It changed their angle slightly and ensured that the punk kept hitting the same spot repeatedly. Roxas' moans became frequent, his legs quivering as they squeezed the punk's waist, dragging Axel closer every time. That coil inside of him was being forced down more and more, he could feel it tightening and he knew it was ready to just release, nothing was going to hold it down.

"_Ah ah, Axel_," Roxas moaned and the punk slid his hands down the headboard, dropping them on either side of Roxas' head. The boy looked up and smiled, his hands coming to hold either side of the punk's sweaty face. Axel smiled around a soft moan of Roxas' name before he leaned down and pressed their forehead's together.

"I love you, Roxas," He gasped and the blond bit his lip, moaning out his love in return.

The coil sprung free then and Roxas released on their stomachs with a breathless cry of Axel's name. The punk followed soon after, thrusting a few more times into the spent body beneath him before he dropped beside Roxas. Their pants filled the room and the odd sensation of Axel's release made Roxas shudder as he shifted closer to the punk, who happily pulled the boy's body flush against his. Roxas smiled sleepily and kissed the redhead's chin.

"I love you so much," He whispered, his brain simply speaking for him without his consent but he found he didn't care. He would repeat it a million times if he had too. Axel smiled brightly, wrapping the boy up in a sticky hug.

They lay in silence for a short while and Roxas traced the fading cut on Axel's chest with his index finger, he couldn't believe the boy's life had been in danger because of him…the very thought still made his heart clench painfully. He looked up and saw that the gentle touch was lulling Axel to sleep but he knew they couldn't just fall asleep naked and covered in sweat…amongst other things.

"Axel," he whispered shaking the boy's shoulder. The older teen just grunted and opened his eyes, peering down at Roxas through his dark lashes.

"Let's shower," Roxas said with a smile, the punk sat up quickly, grinning happily before rolling off the bed, and walking to Roxas' side as the boy struggled to get up.

"Alright, lemme help you there," Axel said, picking the tiny blonde up bridal style, and earning an indignant squeak as he carried Roxas all the way to the bathroom.

Roxas smacked the boy's chest, laughing crazily as he was placed into the shower, Axel following him shortly after and turning on the water. Freezing water splashed them both, making them scurry away to the far end of the bath tub, away from the spray and Roxas nudged Axel. "Turn on the hot water," he whined with chattering teeth and Axel whirled around, staring at the boy with wide eyes.

"W-why do I have to go under the spray?" Axel's lips were turning a light shade of blue. The water was freezing and Roxas laughed through his teeth, rubbing his arms.

"Because I love you," Roxas responded and the punk had no choice but to force himself under the cold water.

Soon it was under control, they wrapped their arms around each other, both sharing the hot water and basking in the feeling of being in each other's arms. Roxas sighed, enjoying the feeling of hot water running along his body, undoing the knot that had settled in his lower back as it washed away the evidence of their actions and Axel hummed contently while stroking Roxas' back. The blonde felt at peace and everything was perfect.

"_ROXAS_, we're home!" The sound of Sora shouting however, was not enjoyable nor was it perfect.

* * *

**A/N:** LET'S KICK IT UP A NOTCH!  
BAM!  
SEX SCENE!  
-more Emeril hand gestures-

Alright so, I'm terrible at writing love scenes when one of the partakers is an innocent, timid, little virgin.  
It's hard because they are _SO_ awkward...v___v

Atleast Roxas knew some stuff, so he was aware of how it all worked. (Thank you Larxene, shit, what would I do without you!)


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty  
**_And Finally, There Is Peace_

Roxas stood in front of the hallway closet, a few suds on his cheeks from the very brief wash Axel had given him before they stumbled out of the bathroom and into the hallway, dripping and cold. The blonde's heart was hammering in his chest as he listened for Sora's footsteps. His brother was still in the living room, the sounds of Riku and the brunette's voice was growing louder and louder as they neared where he and Axel were. Axel, of course, was in the closet and Roxas was realizing now that it had been a really bad idea. They were going to find him in there, wrapped in his towel just like Roxas was. But in the moment of blind panic, they had both thought it was genius. Roxas blushed softly, his bottom aching and wanting nothing more than to sit down yet he stayed standing there awkwardly, thinking of an excuse he could give his brother.

If Sora asked where Axel was, Roxas would say he was in the bathroom, then he'd lead Sora out into the living room and the punk could slip into the washroom and pretend to shower. Roxas beamed at himself, proud with his quick thinking though a small part of him felt guilty for planning ahead and lying to his brother. The blonde just couldn't let Sora know what he and Axel had done. It wasn't that he was ashamed; it was more embarrassment than anything really. Knowing Sora, his reaction to a situation such as this could be anything. He could either tease Roxas relentlessly, or pummel the redhead. Roxas highly doubted Sora would be able to hurt Axel seriously, but he didn't even want his brother to try.

"Hey Rox," Sora's voice was suddenly right beside him and said boy jumped, his heart flying straight into his throat and making him choke before he could respond to his brother. Riku's head appeared over Sora's shoulder and he eyed Roxas curiously. Roxas had a towel thrown over his shoulders, one wrapped around his head and a large one covering his entire torso and of course, the soap suds. The teen felt like a woman at the spa in all the white fluffy towels and he began to feel very ridiculous. He cleared his throat before speaking, yet his voice was still squeaky.

"Hey Sora, you're back early," Immediately he regretted his choice of words when Sora tilted his head to the side and raised both his eyebrows.

"Early? We've been gone for like 3 hours or so," His brother's tone however never changed and the brunette just smiled at Roxas as the boy stood awkwardly in front of the closet, the bare skin on his calves sticking to the door as he shifted side to side, trying to ease the ache in his lower back.

"So, where's Axel?" Sora began to walk but to Roxas' dismay, it was straight towards his bedroom which was right across from the bathroom. The blonde bit his lip, his clever lie having escaped him and he had a nagging feeling this was God's way of having him tell his brother the truth. But what could he say?

"_Oh, he's in the closet!"_

Surely that wasn't the best of responses and his brain was tragically blank at the moment. Riku standing there simply staring at him wasn't helping very much either. Sora's laughter reached Roxas ears and the boy's stomach flipped nervously as his brother peeked his head out from his bedroom.

"Roxas, you can tell Axel to get out of the closet." The blonde spluttered, about to argue that Axel wasn't in the closet when suddenly a loud sneeze came from behind him and he blushed furiously. Another sneeze came, only this time it sounded like the punk had his hand over his nose trying to stifle the persistent sneezes, but they kept coming. Roxas reluctantly stepped away from the closet, Sora still watching, with a knowing smile on his face as the blonde shakily gripped the cool knob.

Axel stumbled out with only a towel wrapped around his hips, a bright blush on his cheeks and his nose just as red. Sora began laughing as Riku raised an eyebrow at the couple. Roxas was trying to disappear in the large towels while Axel stood there, scratching at his dripping hair.

It was beyond obvious that they had been in the shower together, and Lord knew what else was beyond obvious.

Sora slinked out of his room and examined both Roxas and Axel, smiling widely until he instructed Axel to turn around. The punk glanced at Roxas and the blonde shrugged while Riku snickered in the background. Slowly, the redhead turned and Sora let out a low whistle.

"Woo, go Roxy," Sora smirked at his brother, and Roxas' eyes followed his brother's line of vision. What Sora was looking at was ten, bright, red, tiny crescent moons all along Axel's shoulder blades and bright red lines trailing down to the middle of the punk's back. Roxas blushed furiously, momentarily forgetting his brother and Riku as he spun Axel around.

"Why didn't you tell me I hurt you?" the blonde asked, his voice laced with concern and his eyes heavy with guilt. Axel looked down at the boy confused, reaching a long arm behind himself and brushing his spindly fingers over the tiny markings. The redhead chuckled and shrugged.

"To be honest, I didn't really feel it," before Roxas could respond, Sora beat him too it.

"Too busy, eh?" The older brother snickered and Roxas pushed his face into Axel's chest, trying to disappear into the punk this time. Riku seemed to no longer be able to contain his laughter and it burst out. Sora followed shortly, doubling over, his frame shaking with the deep laughter.

The couple slowly shimmied their way past the laughing duo and they slipped into Roxas' room, the blonde quickly shutting the door and locking it. He stared at Axel with wide eyes, his cheeks still burning with what Roxas assumed was the strongest blush of his life time, his heart seemed to be stuck under his Adam's apple.

"That went better than expected," Axel said, sniffling and rubbing at his irritated nose. Roxas let a nervous laugh escape as he went to join Axel who had sat on the edge of his bed. The boy's body was slowly cooling now that he was no longer burning from embarrassment, his heart beat slowing, allowing the organ to fall back into place. The cold air was finally making itself known on his still moist skin and tiny goose bumps began to adorn his arms. Axel for the most part, was completely dry, except for his thick hair.

"Why did you sneeze?" Roxas had to know, even if Sora already had them figured out before the sneeze, the blonde was still curious. Axel blushed softly and chewed his bottom lip for a moment before answering with a small chuckle.

"Your mom had potpourri in the closet, and I'm allergic to that stuff." Roxas nodded as he got off the bed, Axel following shortly after then stopping before his eyes widened comically. Roxas pulled Axel's t-shirt from floor and slipped it on before he shot Axel a curious glance. The redhead looked back at the boy, his eyebrows furrowing as his mouth lifted in a tight line.

"My clothes are out in the living room."

Roxas let out a loud laugh, before telling the punk he was on his own and quickly got ready for bed as Axel paced in front of the door. "I can sleep naked," Axel suggested hopefully after a few minutes, making Roxas blush and laugh even louder as he shook his head.

"No, you can't. My mother comes into my bedroom all the time, as do Sora and Riku." Axel nodded with a grim look of realization on his face. Gripping his towel firmly he looked at Roxas over his shoulder, the boy sat there, in the too big shirt, his legs crossed and shifting every now and then to ease the stress on his lower back.

"Wish me luck love," Axel pulled open the door and waltzed out with his head held high, Roxas felt slightly bad for making the redhead face Sora and Riku all alone. Especially since he knew for a fact that his brother and brother-in-law were going to tease the other teen relentlessly. Deep down though, the boy was just glad it wasn't him.

He was especially glad he wasn't out there when he heard Sora's loud laughter and Riku's smooth voice. Roxas couldn't make out what the silver haired male was saying, but he knew it was directed at Axel and it was embarrassing. He heard Axel chuckle and a few spoken words, then the punk's footsteps drew closer and he scooted further onto the bed. He was feeling beyond tired and couldn't wait for Axel to finally come to bed so they could sleep.

The punk walked in with his duffle bag and he set it on the floor, quickly taking out his clothes and getting dressed, not bothering with underwear and that made Roxas blush. He hoped he'd one day stop blushing so much, though something in himself told him that wasn't very likely.

"Well, time for bed," Axel crawled into bed and Roxas quickly curled against the punk's side once the boy had settled comfortably. Roxas sighed contently, Axel doing the same. It wasn't long before the two were fast asleep.

"Roxasssss" The harsh whisper and warm breath hitting his ear is what woke him up with a start, his eyes wide and a scream ready to claw its way out of his throat. Ever since his father kidnapped him, the boy hadn't been able to sleep well. Every noise woke him, and if it wasn't that, there were the nightmares. The vivid images of being captured again, ones where he'd never escaped in the first place. His mind flashed angry, blue eyes at him, the ghost feeling of rough calloused hands tangled in his hair. Roxas held his breath as he looked to the side and came face to face with a dark silhouette. He went to scream until he recognized the spiky hair as Sora's and immediately calmed down. Until he remembered the earlier incident. "Hey baby brother. In case you're wondering it's 6:30am and I'm waking you up for school," Roxas blinked groggily before he sat up, ignoring the sharp jab he felt in the small of his back as he wrapped his arms around Sora.

"I'm so tired," The blonde whispered and Sora nodded, placing a soft kiss against his younger brother's temple.

"I don't doubt it, after seeing the evidence all over Axel's back," Roxas reached out blindly to swat at his dark shadow of a brother, only succeeding in making the older male laugh.

"Well come on then, wake up Axel, but make it quick, we're all home!" With that Sora slowly walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly and Roxas lay back down, curling against Axel. The punk tightened his hold on the boy in his sleep, making Roxas smile, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier until he remembered that his brother had just woken him up for school. The blonde groaned loudly before sitting up again, stumbling out from underneath the covers and hissing at the cool air assaulted his bare legs.

He figured instead of shaking Axel, he'd flip the light switch. Sora had done this to him many times and it worked like a charm, though it was beyond annoying for the sleeper. The light came on in a burst of brightness, Roxas having to shield his own eyes from the harsh light. Squinting with a hand over his eyes, he looked towards the bed only to see Axel with a pillow over his face, and still sleeping. The teen stomped over to Axel's side, never having been a morning person and yanked the pillow off the punk's face, making the sleeping boy hiss out and flop onto his stomach.

"Axel Flint, wake up this instant." Roxas huffed, raising the pillow over his head and smacking Axel's bare back with it. At some point the boy had ended up shirtless and this was the first time Roxas was getting a good look at the thin scratch marks. They weren't that bad…though he still felt guilty for them. The guilt vanished as Axel slept on. "Axel I'm serious!" Another hard whack with the pillow proved useless, the punk's breathing was still slow and even.

The only thing that could wake Axel would have to be a force of nature, that or Sora.

"Sora!" Roxas screamed, his older brother rushing in and looking around, ready to kill whatever intruder caused his brother to scream.

"What happened?" He asked, spotting no immediate danger in the room, nothing but a sleeping redhead and a disheveled looking Roxas, but the boy always had bed head.

"He won't wake up," Roxas groaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly and Sora laughed, shaking his head and turning to leave the room. "Help me!" The boy cried and his brother shot him a look.

"Oh alright," Sora walked back into the room and gripped a thin ankle that was poking out from under the covers. With one harsh tug Axel's body gave a loud thump and he smacked into the hard floors, instantly jumping awake with a startled yelp.

"Uh what the hell?" He groaned, flipping over to lay on his back and rubbing his chest, Sora stood over him with a smug smirk on his lips.

"Wake up lover boy, it's time for school," and just as he came in, the older Baine brother left.

"Did you really have to resort to Sora?" Axel said sitting up, still rubbing at his chest while Roxas tossed the pillow back onto the bed and gripped a hairbrush, tugging through his tangled tresses and wincing every time it got stuck. His scalp was really sensitive.

"Nothing else woke you up," Roxas said with a yawn, giving up on his hair and heading towards the door, fully set on taking a nice hot shower. His backside was still sore and he wondered just how on earth he was going to get through today with this insistent pain. He didn't regret it though and hopefully it would get better. The thought of sleeping with Axel again spread a warm blush over the boy's pale cheeks and he turned gripping the door knob quickly.

"Where you going?" Axel asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, they were still sort of puffy and he looked adorable after just waking up, the hair on the left side of his head crushed while the right side frizzy with static.

"A quick shower," Roxas talked around a yawn and Axel jumped to his feet, hurrying towards the boy and wrapping his arms around the narrow waist. Roxas caught on immediately and disentangled himself form the punk's lanky arms quickly, chuckling while shaking his head.

"Oh no, I'm not going through that again," Roxas said staring up at Axel as the punk sent him a dejected look. The blonde's heart gave a tiny leap but he remembered his brother's words:_ 'We're all home'. _Clearly that meant they couldn't share the shower.

"Just get ready okay? We've got a busy school day ahead," Going on the tips of his toes, he planted a soft kiss on Axel's lips before slipping out of the room and towards the bathroom. Riku was just walking out, towel drying his hair when he spotted Roxas.

"What? No Axel this time?" The blonde choked, tripping on the carpet and stumbling into the bathroom. He could hear Riku's laughter and the male calling to Sora, no doubt going to tell his boyfriend about his clever little joke. The blush on the boy's face was hot enough for Roxas to momentarily think he'd caught a cold and was running a fever of 300 degrees.

He had been awake for less than twenty minutes and already the teasing had begun. For the first time he was glad to be going to school knowing he was going to get a load of homework and assignments. At least that would keep him busy and Sora out of his room for a few days.

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door just as he was stepping into the shower. "Yes?" he called praying to God it wasn't Sora.

"Roxas, sweet heart, is Axel in there with you?" It was only his mother…wait, his _mother_?!

"MOM!" Roxas slipped and landed into the bathtub with a painful slap, his mother tried to conceal her laughter before asking if he was alright. All the boy could manage was an embarrassed squeak as he tried to melt into the porcelain and disappear down the drain.

Despite the horrible embarrassment that he probably wouldn't live down in his entire life, he had never been happier. His life was finally going to get better; he was finally going to be allowed true happiness. He thanked God for everything in his life while he showered, the habit of prayer having never really left him.

Roxas had been right in saying it was going to be a busy day. As soon as the boy walked into the foyer of Lawrence Heights he was surrounded by all the people in his grade. Some asking questions, others simply watching him as the boy stared at everyone with wide eyes. Axel stood there in shock at how people were acting, and Roxas was beyond confused.

"How does everyone know?" he asked the punk and Axel sighed, frowning at the people who kept asking questions. The redhead knew Roxas' mother had called the school to inform them of the police case and the fact of Roxas' disappearance. The school had been shocked that the blonde had been abducted right in the parking lot, and they swore to install security cameras. Everyone had found out about the boy's kidnapping because the principal had announced it to the students, cautioning them and telling everyone to be very careful when leaving the school. Roxas' mother had only said so much.

Roxas felt Axel wrap his arm around his waist, and he had to quicken his strides in order to keep up as Axel barreled though the curious students. Roxas smiled gently at a few who cast him worried glances, he assured a few he was fine, and the rest were left to gossip amongst themselves about the little Catholic boy who had been kidnapped and miraculously found.

The blonde suddenly stopped, his skin prickling like it had so long ago and Axel cast him a curious glance as the boy looked around the hallway, spotting a familiar head of blonde. Anger flared up in Roxas' veins and he decided he was going to finally do something about Vexen. He was no longer going to cower in fear, he was going to set the boy straight and let him know that he wasn't afraid of him and he wasn't going to take anymore of his mind games. He squirmed from Axel's grip and began storming straight towards the boy, Axel hurried after him.

"Where are you going Rox?" Axel asked, catching up and Roxas turned, placing a hand on his chest and stopping him. He could see Naminé and the rest of his friends coming up behind Axel, having just pushed past the remaining crowd in the foyer. Most of the other students had already gone back to their regular Monday routines.

"I'll be right back," the blonde said and turned quickly, Vexen's pale hair was visible as the serpent like boy slinked through the hallway. Roxas hurried his steps, picking up the sound of Axel's chains rattling as the punk took a step. The rattling of the punk's chains would forever sooth the boy's nerves.

Finally the blonde caught up with Vexen, gripping his elbow he twisted the pale boy around. The taller teen's eyes widened before he grinned at the boy. The anger Roxas felt was indescribable. He'd never felt anything like it before so to say it caught him off guard would be an understatement. The fingers in his right hand curled, forming a small fist and before Vexen could speak, he crashed said fist right into the boy's nose, sending him sprawling onto his back.

"That's for all the problems you've caused me, you creep!" Roxas shouted, pointing an angry finger at the teen on the floor. He knew it wasn't good catholic behaviour but then again, Vexen hadn't been a very good person either. Blood was slowly starting to trickle down the blonde's face and Roxas glared viciously. He had never hated anyone in his life, not even his own father, but he despised Vexen. May God forgive him one day.

Axel and the rest of his friends appeared behind him, the punk touching Roxas' shoulder gently and when Roxas turned around he smiled softly before looking back at Vexen.

"I don't ever want to see you around me or my friends ever again, or I swear to the Good Lord in heaven that I will…I'll…I'll do something very uncatholic!" Roxas knew he didn't sound very threatening but the look on Vexen's face was still shocked and maybe that was because the hatred was evident in the boy's bright eyes. The sweet face of Roxas, those eyes that had never glanced upon another human being with anger or ill intentions. Seeing his point was made, Roxas turned and walked away, his friends trailing behind him and finally stopping when they reached their lockers. He slumped against his and sighed loudly, a smile forming on his face. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

That was the last thing he needed to do to end those terrible chapters of his life for good. Now that Vexen had been taken care of, he could finally, truly move on with life with nothing but regular teenaged worries. He didn't have anything to fear but the power of God…and maybe the dark.

"Uncatholic, eh?" Of course Larxene would be the one to poke fun at the boy's pathetic little threat. The two blondes looked at each other before laughing loudly, the rest of the group joining in. Roxas soaked up the sounds of their joyous laughter. The way Demyx snorted, Zexion's more reserved quiet chuckles, Axel's smooth voice. Marluxia was laughing so hard he couldn't even breathe, let alone make sound and Naminé's laughter was a soft, jingly sound, her eyes were welling with tears of mirth.

"Shut up," Roxas said as soon as he could breathe, and Axel tossed his arm across the boy's shoulders as the group settled into casual conversation. Marluxia seemed to have remembered something and he shouted above everyone else.

"You guys want to hear something hilarious?" Everyone nodded, signaling the rose haired teen to continue, and he did, barely suppressing his chuckles.

"There's a rumor going around that Axel's going to convert to Catholicism."

Roxas' eyes widened, as did everyone else's eyes in the group, even the punk's. Roxas tried, he really did, but in the end he couldn't help but start up another round of loud laughter. The group seemed to find it equally funny, everyone except Axel. "Y'all don't think I could?" he said with a smirk, each teen shaking their head vigorously.

"Yeah…you're right. Mass was just so boring," Axel groaned loudly, tossing his head back and scrunching his eyes in a look of pure suffering and Roxas punched his arm, frowning.

"Stop it," The blonde couldn't keep the smile off his face though.

"Or what? You'll do something uncatholic to me?" Another round of laughter was brought on and Roxas' couldn't help but stop for a few minutes to admire his group of friends as they all chuckled, gripping their middles or their chests, no doubt in pain from all the laughing.

A bright smile adorned his face as he watched each of them, his blue eyes glowing with love as another prayer of thanks was spoken in his mind. He no longer prayed for forgiveness because he knew the Lord understood him, he had finally come to terms with being human and what that truly meant.

It meant there would be sins because you simply cannot live life without them. There would be times in your life when prayers aren't answered because that is just the way things are. But, Roxas had learned that there would also be times like these. Times where you're surrounded by friends and reminded that even if you're human, even if you aren't perfect, you don't need to be because there are always people to love you, honestly and truly and perhaps those people are sent by God himself. They are sent when you really need them, when your accumulation of unanswered prayer finally seems to gain some meaning.

Perhaps all the small prayers are never answered because indirectly, God has already placed in your destiny the one thing you'll need to conquer everything. _Love_. One just has to wait for it.

Roxas realized that the conversation around him had stopped. His friends were looking at him all with smiles and he blinked before asking what they were looking at. Larxene was the first to speak. "At you two…This could really make some fairy tale," The blonde girl said, laughing when Roxas just stared at her. "We could call it, The Catholic and The Rebel." She smiled and Roxas blushed deeply with a smile, as Axel tightened his hold on the boy.

"Well if it ever becomes a best seller and then a movie, I want Johnny Depp to play me most definitely. I think we both share equal sex appeal and rebelliousness." Roxas rolled his eyes, chuckling when another argument broke out about who would play Axel in their movie.

Roxas smiled to himself simply listening to his friends, his head resting on Axel's chest, listening to its steady beat. In its beats he heard all the prayers he once believed weren't answered and again thanked God for sending him Axel.

For sending him The Rebel he had needed to save him.

_The End_

* * *

**A/N: **And here we are folks, the very end.  
I'm sad to see this end, yet I'm so happy I can barely contain myself.

I'm so grateful to everyone who stuck around. From the very beginning, the middle or even those who joined around the end.  
All your reviews really made my day everytime I'd read them and you are all just so amazing!

Thank you all so much for your support!

Here's hoping we all find our Rebels (:


	31. News

Hey guys! I'm in a bit of a writing slump with my newer stories, and I've decided I'm going to reread this and revise it, add new scenes, tie up any loose ends I may have missed or over looked, like I had planned to do for awhile now. The chapters will all be posted at once, there might be an extra chapter or something but you'll all know or maybe some of you will check in now and then. I'll try and have it done soon. I'm really excited about this. I've wanted to fix missed typos, add certain scenes and stuff for a long time.

Thanks so much for listening,

Sharmander


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